Matildas did the nation proud but this may just be the beginning

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The Matildas ended their Olympic campaign in fourth place last night, after losing 4-3 to the USA in the Bronze medal match.

Overall, this is the best result the Matildas have achieved at the Olympics in their history, surpassing their 5th place finish at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

In the warm up matches in the build-up to the tournament under new coach Tony Gustavsson, the Matildas were shaky to say the least.

A 5-2 loss to Germany, followed by a 5-0 loss to the Netherlands, led to many questioning the resolve of the team before kicking a ball at the Olympic Games.

Gustavsson and his squad of players didn’t panic however, and when the Matildas’ Olympic campaign officially begun, they opened with a 2-1 win over New Zealand.

An entertaining 4-2 loss to Sweden was followed by a gritty 0-0 draw with the USA which allowed the Australian side to progress to a quarter final match up against Great Britain.

A 4-3 victory over Great Britain in the quarter final, in a game which showcased their ‘never say die’ attitude was the clear high point of the tournament for the Matildas.

Australians in their droves tuned into to every Matildas match, with their eventual 1-0 loss to Sweden in the semi final watched by an average audience of over 1.8 million and thousands more streaming the game on 7Plus.

Figures such as this highlight how the team has become one of Australia’s most loved sporting teams, with the country heartbroken yet proud of their efforts.

The Matildas are undoubtedly ‘box office’ but their Olympic exploits are just the beginning of a big couple of years to come for Tony Gustavsson’s side.

The team are set to compete in the 2022 Asian Cup in India in the coming months, looking to go one step better this time after losing in the final in 2018 to Japan.

The tournament in India is a chance for this group of players to win their first Asian Cup since 2010, but will also give the side more competitive tournament minutes before the big one, a home Women’s World Cup in 2023.

The Women’s World Cup in 2023 will be the biggest event held on Australian shores since the 2000 Olympics, and economically it will be a major boost for the country after the significant hit it has taken due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2019 Women’s World Cup, which was hosted by France, made an estimated $461 million GDP contribution to the host nation.

Tom Rischbieth, Football Australia’s head of commercial and events, believes the 2023 event will produce similar benefits economically.

“Yes, it will deliver amazing football matches but also substantial benefits socially and economically. We know from a tourism perspective 60,000 international visitors are predicted for the tournament equating to 600,000 bed nights and the numbers just keep growing, an estimated 5,000 jobs will also be created, it is a huge opportunity and one that we realise the benefits of,” Rischbieth said recently at a SportsPro APAC Series event.

The organisers of the tournament believe the 2023 competition is on track to sell 1.5 million tickets, which will break records for the women’s game.

“We know in France, over a million fans attended the 52 matches. And we now know that we’re going to have 64 matches in 2023. The ten stadiums that have been confirmed range from boutique to mega size, so we’re definitely on track,” Jane Fernandez, Chief Operating Officer (Australia) for the FIFA WWC 2023 said at the SportsPro event.

Football Australia have heavily focused on the legacy the tournament will have on the game here, including factors such as participation, facilities and improving region relations, but a strong Matildas outfit at the tournament is of vital importance.

With their impressive showings at the Olympic Games, fans of the Matildas should see the further development of players before the World Cup, including highly talented youngsters like Mary Fowler, Ellie Carpenter and Kyra Cooney-Cross.

With a right blend of these youngsters and world class players in their prime, there is no reason why the Matildas can’t seriously challenge to win the World Cup on home soil.

The hype around hosting the World Cup in two years’ time has not yet set in for most Australians, with many not understanding the magnitude of the event.

When the tournament does finally roll around however, the world will be watching, with many millions of Australians hoping to see our golden girls once again give them something to be proud of.

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The A-Leagues Final Series important status also a secret hinderance

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The Isuzu A-League finals series is a huge event in the footballing calendar, though its contribution to stagnant attendance numbers in the league is something to be said.

If the 2025/26 finals series follows similar patterns to those before it, it will gather huge traction and strong ticket sales.

It is the largest event for the domestic league, bringing in massive amounts of viewership through media and gate receipts.

Finals series from years past have shown this, with the 2024/25 final, a Melbourne derby, being sold out within 48 hours and gathering significant viewership online.

The idea of a finals series lies within the Australian sporting ethos; the other sporting codes have had this tradition for most of their existence, especially in recent history.

Football, though, is different from the rest of the sporting codes in Australia, unique even. This has historically contributed to its inability to integrate into the same supported status as other codes.

Many in the Australian footballing community, supporter groups, players, coaches, and even the new Director of Football Australia, have voiced concerns over fan numbers in the league competition.

It wouldn’t be absurd to say that maybe, though profitable now, the finals series is actually taking away from the league itself.

Consider the media image: the league winner is called the “minor premiership,” and ticket sales and viewership figures reveal a huge disparity between the two parts of the A-League.

It must be said that an alternative that could work in unison with the league and possibly increase viewership of the league itself would be a great advantage.

It would allow the league to gain more jeopardy and drama, which could build greater interest in attending league games.

One alternative is already here.

No other sporting code in Australia has both a league competition and a cup competition. Football in Australia does.

The Hahn’s Australia Cup is our equivalent to the FA Cup in England or the Copa del Rey in Spain.

These are competitions that offer a finals option in a different competition entirely. They generate huge traction while never diminishing the importance of the league and, therefore, its popularity.

These cup competitions cannot be discussed without acknowledging some obvious differences.

They don’t face the same popularity issues that football does in Australia. It’s obvious the Hahn’s Australia Cup doesn’t yet gain the traction that the finals series does.

However, for a healthy footballing environment with increasing fan numbers, it should.

The idea of elevating the Hahn’s Australia Cup and scaling back the finals series is a complex question, one that is treated like a “no-go zone” by many in the Australian footballing community, and that is understandable.

Though big changes like this might, in the end, be credible options for the future of the sport in this country.

Larger plans must be set in motion, strategies that can be worked towards and refined along the way. It is the process by which all large organisations, business models and even national governments build their strategies.

Such a shift will be scrutinised and pushed back against.

Though with further fine-tuning and smart investment in development, not to mention the introduction of promotion and relegation and the possibility of changing the footballing calendar.

It could replicate the success that these two-competition models already enjoy in other leagues.

The added importance that the premiership would gain, the reality that every game matters, could alongside other strategies entice fans to more games, increase viewership and ticket sales, and create more dedicated fan bases. It works in other nations, very well in fact.

The possibility of two teams lifting a trophy, rather than one single event defining it all, sounds like a strategy that could deliver more engagement over longer periods of time.

Maybe Australian football doesn’t need to answer this question just yet. It is complex, difficult and it would require a great deal of work, including significant investment into the game, which is another issue entirely.

Yet as low attendance numbers persist in the A-League, even alongside increased media viewership, something needs to change for football in Australia.

The rise in popularity of this game and its dedicated community deserves bold ideas and forward thinking.

Ideas like this could eventually begin to change the landscape of the beautiful game in Australia for the better.

From Broadcast to Betting: Where Australian Football Sits in a $417 Billion Sports Economy

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Image Credit: ESPN

The global sports industry is now worth an estimated $417 billion, but the headline figure only tells part of the story. Beneath it lies a more significant shift that reveals not just how much money sport generates, but where that money is actually coming from?

Globally, the traditional foundations of football’s business model are being overtaken. Sports betting alone accounts for $133 billion, meaning nearly one in every three dollars in the industry is now driven by wagering rather than watching.

For a sport historically built on attendance, broadcast and sponsorship, this marks a profound transformation.

 

The Rise of Participation Over Viewership

The fastest-growing segment of the global market, which is valued at $177 billion, is now the “gaming” ecosystem: betting, fantasy sports and video games. What unites these platforms is simple: they turn fans from passive viewers into active participants.

This is the new sports economy. Engagement is no longer confined to the 90 minutes on the pitch. Instead, it is continuous, interactive and, most importantly, monetisable.

For football, the opportunity is enormous. But so too is the risk. As betting becomes the dominant financial driver, the sport must confront difficult questions around integrity, regulation and long-term dependence on gambling-linked revenue.

 

A Global Boom, A Local Reality

While the global industry surges ahead, Australian football presents a more complex picture.

The A-Leagues’ current broadcast deal, reportedly worth around $200 million over five years, is modest when compared to the $61 billion global media rights market. It highlights the gap between Australia and football’s major commercial powerhouses — it also underscores the importance of maximising every available revenue stream.

At the same time, there are clear signs of growth.

The rise of the Matildas has transformed the commercial landscape, with the national team now widely viewed as a central revenue driver through sponsorship, broadcast and matchday demand. Record-breaking audiences — including 2.73 million viewers nationally for key fixtures — demonstrate football’s expanding cultural footprint.

Streaming, too, is reshaping the game locally. Football viewership on Paramount+ has surged by 138%, while the sport has reached nearly 10 million Australians over a 12-month period. These figures mirror the global trend away from traditional television toward digital platforms.

 

The Disconnect Between Growth and Revenue

Yet, despite rising audiences and renewed interest, financial stability remains a challenge.

The A-Leagues have faced ongoing pressures — from declining distributions to structural reform — revealing a critical tension at the heart of Australian football:

Attention is growing, but revenue is not keeping pace.

This disconnect reflects a broader structural issue. While global sport is rapidly monetising digital and interactive engagement, Australian football is still heavily reliant on more traditional income streams.

 

Why the Global Shift Matters

The implications of the global $417 billion market are clear.

The IP monetisation pillar ($154 billion), which encompasses media rights, sponsorship, merchandise and matchday, remains vital. But it is no longer enough on its own.

Meanwhile, broadcasting and streaming ($86 billion) is fragmenting. Pay TV still dominates, but streaming is rising fast, changing not just how fans watch football, but how value is captured.

Above all, the dominance of the gaming segment signals a new reality:

The future of sport lies in participation, not just consumption.

 

A Defining Moment for Australian Football

For Australian football, the challenge is not simply to grow — it is to align with where the global industry is heading.

That means:

  • Building stronger digital ecosystems
  • Leveraging data and fan engagement tools
  • Exploring new commercial models beyond traditional broadcast deals

Because while the global sports market is projected to reach $602 billion by 2030, that growth will not be evenly distributed.

It will favour the sports and leagues that can successfully integrate into a landscape defined by interactivity, personalisation and constant engagement.

 

More Than a Game

Football in Australia is not short on momentum. Participation is rising, the Matildas have captured national attention, and audiences are increasingly engaged.

But in a $417 billion global industry, momentum alone is not enough.

The question is no longer whether football can grow.

It is whether it can evolve fast enough to capture its share of where the money is going.

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