Complex sentence: The NRL Footy Show successfully retained the award in 2006 and 2007, cementing it as the most popular Australian sports programme on television, having long surpassed its AFL rival, despite lower TV ratings compared to the AFL footy show in a larger TV market in Sydney.
Split into simpler sentences: The NRL Footy Show successfully retained the award in 2006 and 2007. Having long surpassed its AFL rival, despite lower TV ratings compared to the AFL footy show in a larger TV market in Sydney.