Breakthrough: Netball has found its place. Credit:Murray Wilkinson While a final decision on the three new teams has yet to be announced, a Storm-owned team is likely to be established on the Sunshine Coast, as well as another Melbourne-based team backed by AFL club Collingwood and a second team set up in Sydney. Channel Nine and Telstra are expected to enter into five-year agreements to broadcast the 17-round competition, with incumbent telecaster Channel Ten, losing the rights. TV ratings drove the inevitable national league, with poor numbers for games between Australian and New Zealand teams forcing Netball Australia's hand. Nine welcomed the opportunity to broadcast exclusively Australian content into lounge rooms in prime time, with Telstra to offer digital services.

Fast hands: Madi Robinson of the Vixens. Credit:David Callow Netball Australia's bold strategy of expanding teams and welcoming co-investment from NRL and AFL clubs was planned before the AFL announcement of its own womens' league but growth in other female sports has been spectacular. Cricket's Womens' Big Bash League mirrors the mens' eight city based franchises in a Twenty20 competition, while soccer's nine team W-League is similar to the mens' A-League, without a New Zealand team. The AFL's planned womens' competition, to begin early next year, will have four teams in Melbourne and one each in Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and Queensland, with all eight supported by an existing AFL club. The Storm's Sunshine Coast team base will be in conjunction with the club's new academy for emerging NRL players at Kawana Waters.

The Sunshine Coast Regional Council has backed the Storm's bid with a significant investment, particularly in staff, while the University of Sunshine Coast has also joined the consortium. The Storm would be majority owner of the new netball club. The Storm is the fourth-most popular NRL team with Queensland viewers. Collingwood have bid for a netball and a womens' AFL team, but the mega wealthy club has the resources to back Magpies teams in both leagues if successful. A decision on the licensee of the second Sydney team, partnering the NSW Swifts, will be made once the broadcast deal has been signed but it is an imaginative bid and could be linked to a NRL club. It is expected other NRL clubs will bid for licences should the competition expand at the end of the broadcasting agreement, partly as counter to the AFL womens' league on Channel Seven.

However, some existing netball teams have expressed opposition to new teams invading their turf, with Netball Queensland concerned at the impact of a Sunshine Coast team on the Brisbane base Firebirds, the reigning premiers. Some netball officials are also opposed to private ownership of teams but it is becoming an increasing source of capital, with historic NRL clubs, such as St George Illawarra embracing investors. Donaghy said, "We have expressed an interest in securing a licence. Netball is the No 1 female participation sport in the nation and there are 6,000 registered participants in the Sunshine Coast catchment. "We haven't been informed by Netball Australia of our success or not in the bid process and once it's finalised, there would still be a licence agreement to complete. "There is still some way to go but it is an exciting opportunity." While Netball Australia and Channel Nine are yet to sign the contract, it will be the biggest broadcasting rights deal in womens' sport in Australia.

The noise in the sport/media industry has already had an impact on corporate sponsorships. A rich broadcasting contract will also attract overseas players.