Sky Sport has been the major broadcast partner of New Zealand Netball since 2008, but the national body is going back to Television New Zealand - its first home.
How much TVNZ are actually paying for the rights - if any - is not being disclosed, and it seems inevitable that players will have to take pay cuts next year.
TVNZ has been in cost-saving mode but Netball NZ will be hoping that by having the games all free-to-air, they will attract bigger sponsorship deals.
Last year, Netball NZ and Sky TV agreed to a one-year extension to their broadcasting partnership. RNZ reported that it was a significantly reduced deal.
In 2024, Netball NZ trialled free-to-air coverage of the ANZ Premiership, showing Saturday games live on TVNZ. This year, Netball NZ produced the Saturday game, which screened exclusively on TVNZ, and Sky got it on delay.
TVNZ has now won exclusive rights for 2026 for the whole domestic competition. Games will be shown across TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+.
TVNZ head of sports, events and partnerships Melodie Robinson said netball was one of New Zealand's most popular codes and they were excited to have secured the competition.
"Our netballers are at the top of their game, they're powerful wāhine toa, and we're thrilled to be connecting tamariki with the heroes who inspire them, bringing the excitement straight into their homes each weekend."
Netball New Zealand chief executive Jennie Wyllie has welcomed the return of netball to free-to-air television, calling it a fantastic outcome for fans.
"Following a season where we've seen, strong broadcast numbers, fantastic match attendances and unprecedented global viewership, it's exciting to now have the opportunity for even more New Zealanders to enjoy the game.
"Netball is played and loved by hundreds of thousands across Aotearoa, and this move will help bring the sport closer to communities nationwide."
New rule innovations introduced this year, including the captain's timeout and the game changing two-point shot are set to return for the season to run Saturdays and Sundays starting in April.
The competition will follow the two-round format, played between the six domestic teams across the motu before the finals series.
There will be 30 round robin matches and two finals over a 12-week period.
Netballers may face pay cut
ANZ Premiership players may need a secondary income next season "to make ends meet", New Zealand Netball Players Association executive manager Steph Bond said earlier today.
"The sad part that could end up next year is that actually players will have to look outside of netball to supplement what they are earning to make ends meet," Bond told RNZ's Midday Report programme.
"In some cases that's a good thing in terms of actually having something off the court, but it's definitely not pushing the sport forward in terms of the progress other sports are making."
Bond said players had felt "unsettled" while the negotiations continued.
"It's creating challenges for those individuals, which is understandable when you're not sure where your short-term future is heading.
"We would normally be in the contracting stage right now in terms of the ANZ Premiership for next year, so we're currently in bargaining with Netball New Zealand to try and see what that landscape will look like next year."
The players avoided wide-spread pay cuts this year when a collective employment agreement was negotiated last year for 2025, Bond said to be back facing the potential of pay cuts again was "disappointing".
"The community game is still growing despite other, I guess, competing sports in that market and so there is definitely the fans and the people that are supporting the game just at this point in time we don't seem to be able to be getting that turned into dollars and making that a difference at that level."
The Netball Players Association supported players looking to Australia to further their career with the "uncertainty" around the future of the New Zealand competition.
"I think like anyone, if you look across the ditch, you can see a job over there that potentially is paid better and has different challenges then people will be looking at that and having a look and seeing if that's actually a better option for them."
Netball New Zealand updated its Silver Ferns eligibility criteria this month, paving the way for greater flexibility for athletes who wish to play overseas.
