Amelia Walmsley of the Pulse. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
A bargaining process for a new collective employment agreement for New Zealand's elite netball players is on ice while Netball New Zealand negotiates a new broadcasting deal.
In December last year RNZ reported that Sky TV's bid for rights to netball's ANZ Premiership and Silver Ferns tests was significantly lower than its current deal.
One official with knowledge of the negotiations told RNZ the offer from Sky was "less than half" its current broadcast rights agreement, which will expire at the end of the 2024 season.
The two parties are several months into negotiations.
Meanwhile, Netball New Zealand's recently tabled 2023 Annual Report said viewership numbers have been going up for the domestic league.
"ANZ Premiership viewership was up over one million viewers once again and another increase year-on-year for the competition."
The report also said last year's World Cup resulted in a large surge in television viewership for the Silver Ferns, with matches across the year reaching 1.7 million New Zealanders, in a year that was filled with various sporting world cups.
The current broadcast deal covers the salary caps of the six ANZ Premiership franchises.
The New Zealand Netball Players' Association started the bargaining process for a new collective employment agreement last May, with the agreement coming up for renewal late last year.
It was hoped that a new agreement would be signed off by December but negotiations are on hold.
New Zealand players have a revenue share arrangement so they get a percentage of any money that they generate.
Players' Association executive manager Steph Bond said the collective employment agreement was dependent on what happened with the broadcast deal.
"A hundred percent, we have a partnership model with Netball New Zealand where the players share in the revenue that comes in from Netball New Zealand in terms of broadcast, or sponsorship or gate takings so it has a direct impact on players salaries the amount of money that comes in through a broadcast deal," Bond said.
In the meantime the players are contracted on "status quo" or the conditions of the existing agreement.
The Players Association was keen to negotiate a deal that would ensure the country's top netballers remained competitive with other sports, who are investing heavily in the women's game.
The New Zealand women's cricketers became the highest paid female athletes in the country in 2022, after a 100 percent increase on their previous deal.
The highest-ranked White Fern, who also plays a full domestic season, has the potential to earn around $180,000.
The highest paid Silver Fern could earn in excess of $134,500, which includes the ANZ Premiership retainer.