AFC partners with global flooring group Gerflor

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Image provided by Gerflor

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) recently announced a new partnership with global flooring group Gerflor, ahead of the AFC Futsal competitions in 2022 and 2023.

Gerflor will become an Official Tournament Supporter for AFC Futsal competitions, covering the upcoming AFC Futsal Asian Cup Kuwait 2022 and the AFC Futsal Club Championship 2023.

Gerflor will play a key role in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Kuwait 2022, employing their global expertise to provide Futsal pitch flooring solutions for the competition. The partnership stems from the AFC and Gerflor’s commitment to ensuring the optimum playing and safety standards for the benefit of all players, teams and match officials.

Gerflor are a leading global flooring solutions brand, with 85 years of experience in creating, manufacturing, and marketing innovative, decorative and sustainable flooring solutions and wall finishes to clients across the world. Since 1947, Gerflor have established themselves as a leading brand in global sports with their renowned sports flooring brand Taraflex.

Datuk Seri Windsor John, the AFC General Secretary, said in a statement:

“The AFC is pleased to enter into this partnership with Gerflor as our Official Tournament Supporter for the AFC’s Futsal competitions.

“Gerflor are well known for their experience and expertise in providing global flooring solutions and their commitment to providing an unparalleled futsal environment fits in well with the AFC’s Vision of ensuring our players and teams shine in our world-class competitions.”

Lionel Arlin, Sport Federations and Events Manager at Gerflor, added via press release:

“Gerflor is proud to pursue the journey with the AFC for another term and to provide all futsal players, from beginners to seasoned professionals, with the highest standards in safety and performance. Gerflor’s innovative and state-of-the-art futsal flooring provides the best playing conditions for the athletes at the highest AFC futsal events in 2022 and 2023 (AFC Futsal Asian Cup Kuwait 2022TM and the AFC Futsal Club Championship 2023TM).”

Patrick Murphy, Board Member and CEO at FMA, said via AFC:

“We are pleased to have Gerflor on board as an Official Tournament Supporter for AFC Futsal competitions. Gerflor have demonstrated their commitment to establishing the highest standards of safety and quality in providing sports solutions for venues across the world, and we look forward to working with them to bolster our offering to players and fans alike across the AFC Futsal competitions.”

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SBS expands Australian Championship broadcast coverage for 2026

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Image Credits: Football Australia

The Australian Championship will enter its second season with an expanded broadcast partnership between Football Australia and SBS. The 2026 competition will feature two live SBS broadcasts in every round, marking an increase from the tournament’s debut season.

Thursday night football will form a key part of the new broadcast schedule. The opening match will see Preston Lions face Wollongong Wolves on October 15th, with the game broadcast live on SBS2 and SBS On Demand. Saturday football will also remain part of the free-to-air schedule; first up, Sutherland Sharks’ clash with South Melbourne on October 17th will be shown live on SBS and SBS On Demand.

The expanded agreement gives the competition a greater presence across SBS’s linear channels while retaining its full streaming coverage, with every match across the 2026 Australian Championship available live on SBS On Demand. The platform also provides full replays and highlights for viewers to access at their discretion.

In addition to SBS’ coverage, Football Australia will also stream the competition via YouTube.

The Australian Championship consists of a six-round group stage, finals beginning at quarter-finals from November 26, and a Grand Final scheduled currently between December 10-12.

It features 16 clubs from seven states and territories. The broadcast schedule places several historic fixtures in front of a national audience: South Melbourne will meet Sydney United 58 in a repeat of the 1999 NSL Grand Final, and Sydney Olympic and Marconi Stallions will also renew a rivalry that includes NSL Grand Final meetings in 1989 and 1990.

IMG takes commercial lead on inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup

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Image Credit: Vietnam Football Federation

IMG has been appointed to lead the global commercialisation of the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, giving the new Southeast Asian national-team competition an established international sports business partner ahead of its first edition.

Under the strategic partnership, IMG will manage worldwide media and sponsorship rights sales while also overseeing broadcast production for the tournament, which takes place from 24 September to 5 October across Indonesia and Hong Kong, China.

The inaugural competition will feature 14 national teams, including all 11 ASEAN members alongside guest nations, with matches split between two divisions. Division 2 fixtures will be played in Jakarta and Badung, while Division 2 matches will be played in Hong Kong.

The agency’s role will include selling sponsorship and media inventory internationally while helping establish the broadcast infrastructure required to present the tournament to audiences outside Southeast Asia.

The partnership builds on IMG’s existing strategic relationship with PT Garuda Sepak Bola Indonesia, which has been working with the Football Association of Indonesia since 2025 on areas including commercial strategy, media rights, production and digital development.

For FIFA, the tournament creates another international football property in a region with a large and increasingly connected football audience.

For IMG, it adds another major regional property to a football portfolio that already includes competitions and organisations across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa.

The immediate challenge will be turning the inaugural tournament into a sustainable commercial property capable of attracting broadcasters and sponsors beyond its first edition.

If successful, the FIFA ASEAN Cup could provide Southeast Asian national teams with a recurring commercial platform while giving IMG another foothold in one of football’s developing markets.

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