Rugby Australia is looking for a new broadcasting partner with Fox Sports reportedly pulling the pin on their deal at the end of 2020.

News Corp Australia, majority owner of Fox Sports Australia and news.com.au, reported that after months of negotiations talks came to an end on Wednesday.

The struggling code will potentially look at a deal with Optus, News Corp Australia reported.

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Fox Sports has had deals with rugby in Australia dating back to 1996, when the game turned professional.

The current television deal, signed in 2015 was worth $285 million, giving RA $57 million a year.

Fox Sports and Network Ten are the current domestic broadcasters of rugby in Australia, with Fox Sports showing all Super Rugby games and both screening Wallabies Test matches.

“We are preparing to take the package to market early this month,” an RA spokesman told News Corp Australia.

Rugby in Australia has had a difficult time in recent years with declining interest in Super Rugby, highlighted by lower crowds and television viewing numbers.

RA also made an undisclosed settlement, thought to be several million dollars, to former star player Israel Folau after he was sacked for social media posts ostracising homosexuals.

New Zealand and South Africa confirmed their respective broadcasting partnerships through 2025 last year.

New Zealand Rugby signed back on with Sky in a deal which will see All Blacks tests (excluding the World Cup), Super Rugby matches, Mitre10 Cup and other domestic competitions televised on the platform. NZR became a five per cent shareholder in the company as part of the deal.

Australia failed to do so follow suit, with Rugby Australia boss Raelene Castle knocking back Fox’s original offer.

Fox has indicated it would be moving on from rugby, parting ways with highly respected rugby commentator Nick McArdle and former Wallaby Drew Mitchell from their roster as well as cutting their weekly rugby show.

The Daily Telegraph reports the first round matches averaged just 33,000 viewers last weekend, down 19 per cent on round one last year and more worryingly, games with Australian teams were down 35 per cent.

Head of Fox Sports Peter Campbell said the broadcast rights from 2021 were in RA’s hands.

“We never comment on commercial negotiations or speculation about broadcast rights,” Mr Campbell said in a statement provided to foxsports.com.au.

“Fox Sports will continue to be the home of rugby union with all Super Rugby, the Rugby Championship and Wallabies games in 2020. The rugby rights from 2021 onwards are a matter for Rugby Australia.”

— with New Zealand Herald