The Nine Entertainment Co. Holdings Ltd (ASX: NEC) share price is in focus after the company announced a six-year extension of its Premier League streaming and broadcast rights, securing access to all matches in Australia through 2034.

What did Nine Entertainment report?

• Secured exclusive Australian streaming and broadcast rights for the Premier League from 2028–29 to 2033–34
• FY29 rights fee to remain broadly in line with FY28, before increasing at a ~3% CAGR over six years
• Stan EBITDA more than doubled from $40 million in FY21 to $81 million in FY26
• Premier League key to 50% growth in average Stan Sport subscribers over past year

What else do investors need to know?

Nine’s new deal includes all Premier League matches each season, spanning 38 match weeks annually. The company will use both Stan and its broader media platforms to maximise audience reach and awareness for the sport.

The cost structure will shift, as legacy Optus contributions will end, but this will be offset by removing discounts for Optus subscribers and rolling out new cost-saving and revenue initiatives. The Premier League has been instrumental to the growth of Stan Sport, which itself has supported increases in subscription pricing.

What did Nine Entertainment management say?

Nine CEO Matt Stanton said:

Football is the ultimate global game, followed with remarkable intensity by millions of fans across Australia. Bringing the Premier League to Stan has been a genuine game-changer for our business, and we are very pleased to be extending the partnership for another 8 years. It sits at the heart of our strategy of premium content, particularly Sport that Unites.

This agreement further strengthens Nine’s premium sport offering alongside the NRL and NRLW, all four Tennis Grand Slams, the Olympic Games, Rugby Union, the NBL and WNBL, Netball and more. Together, these partnerships reflect Nine’s long-term strategy of investing in premium live sport and delivering the sporting moments that matter most to Australians.

What’s next for Nine Entertainment?

Nine’s focus remains on delivering premium sports content to build engagement on Stan Sport and across its platforms. The Premier League partnership is expected to underpin further subscriber growth and support pricing strategies for Stan Sport.

As costs rise gradually over the new rights term, Nine plans to balance this through new revenue initiatives and efficiencies while leveraging its wider broadcast assets.

Nine Entertainment share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Nine Entertainment shares have declined 51%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which has risen 1% over the sam period.

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The post Nine Entertainment secures Premier League rights through 2034 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nine Entertainment. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

The NEXTDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) share price is in focus after the company announced the successful pricing of a $1.1 billion convertible notes offering, aiming to strengthen liquidity and support growth plans.

What did NEXTDC report?

• Issued $1.1 billion of 1.75% subordinated convertible notes due 2031
• Net proceeds expected to be approximately $1.006 billion after Capped Call Transactions and before other costs
• Initial conversion price set at $16.695 per ordinary share, a 32.5% premium to the $12.60 reference price
• Pro forma available liquidity at 30 June 2026 would have been about $9.8 billion, before costs
• Convertible notes to mature in September 2031 and are listed on the Vienna Multilateral Trading Facility

What else do investors need to know?

The notes issue broadens NEXTDC’s funding base and supports its ongoing data centre development pipeline. The offering is seen as a way to maintain balance sheet flexibility, with the notes ranking junior to existing senior debt but above ordinary shares.

A Delta Placement of around 18.6 million existing ordinary shares was completed at $12.60 per share to facilitate hedging for investors. This does not result in new shares being issued or direct proceeds to NEXTDC.

The company also entered into capped call transactions, providing an economic hedge for share price increases up to a cap price of $21.42 per share, a 70% premium to the reference price.

What did NEXTDC management say?

Craig Scroggie, NEXTDC Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, said:

I am pleased to see such strong support for the Offering. The transaction provides NEXTDC with efficient, committed funding for our development pipeline and diversifies NEXTDC’s sources of capital with a new deep global investor base whilst preserving our senior debt capacity and balance sheet flexibility.

What’s next for NEXTDC?

With this convertible notes offering, NEXTDC has secured significant resources to fund its planned development and expansion across Australia. The company continues to prioritise a strong balance sheet and funding flexibility as it invests in its data centre infrastructure.

NEXTDC plans to continue delivering on its development pipeline for data centre projects, supporting customer-driven growth and scaling up its technology platform for the digital economy.

NEXTDC share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, NEXTDC shares have declined 24%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which has risen 1% over the same period.

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The post NEXTDC secures $1.1bn in convertible notes for data centre growth appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

The West African Resources Ltd (ASX: WAF) share price is on investors’ radar today after the gold miner reported a first-half net profit after tax (NPAT) of $437 million and declared a special dividend of 20 cents per share.

What did West African Resources report?

• Revenue: $1.46 billion for the half year ended June 2026
• NPAT: $437 million
• Operating cash flow: $690 million
• Gold production: 232,905 ounces at an all-in sustaining cost (AISC) of US$1,823/oz
• Gold sales: 214,883 ounces at US$4,744/oz realised price
• Special dividend: 20 cents per share (unfranked), totalling $228.8 million
• Cash and bullion balance: $876 million cash plus 42,453 ounces of unsold gold bullion

What else do investors need to know?

West African Resources achieved record revenue and profit off the back of its first full six months of combined production from the Sanbrado and Kiaka operations. The company noted no significant health or safety incidents during the half, reflecting positively on operational standards.

Shareholders can expect a 20 cents per share special dividend—unfranked, with a record date of 18 September and a payment date of 7 October 2026. West African Resources will also accelerate repayments on its secured debt facilities in the coming 12 months, helping to strengthen its balance sheet even further.

What did West African Resources management say?

Executive Chairman and CEO Richard Hyde said:

WAF delivered an outstanding result for the first half of 2026, with the Group’s first full six months of combined production from Sanbrado and Kiaka. We are pleased to reward shareholders with a 20 cents per share special dividend and intend to accelerate debt repayments with our secured lenders over the next 12 months.

What’s next for West African Resources?

West African Resources is looking to build on its strong start to the year, supported by its updated 10-year production outlook and ongoing investment in growth. Pre-production mining at Toega is making good progress, and more than 100,000 metres of exploration drilling is planned for 2026.

With two large, low-cost, and long-life gold production centres, the company is positioning itself for long-term success. Management’s focus remains on operational excellence, healthy cash flow generation, and ongoing shareholder returns.

West African Resources share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, West African Resources shares have risen 37%, outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which has risen 1% over the same period.

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The post West African Resources delivers profit surge and special dividend in H1 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.