Football NSW’s NPL.TV continues to make its mark

Staff Writer

Football NSW has announced that all National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s and National Premier Leagues 2 NSW Men’s matches will be live streamed, exclusively on NPL.TV when matches commence this weekend.

Prior to COVID-19 halting all competitions, NPL.TV was launched as an exciting new destination for fans of NPL NSW to view games. The landmark streaming service is a key partnership between Football NSW and leading sports media and data agency Sportradar.

On NPL.TV, the platform will be fully broadcast including complete commentary for all NPL NSW Women’s and NPL 2 Men’s matches throughout the 2020 season.

NPL.TV will also stream top-tier NPL NSW Men’s and NPL NSW Men’s Under 20’s when they are due to recommence later this month.

The platform is regarded as an OTT service capable of allowing content to be streamed from mobiles to televisions via Chromecast or Airplay.

NPL.TV is free for those in Australia and accessible on all web browsers, with the option to purchase a ‘premium’ Full HD package at a small monthly cost.

Football NSW has confirmed the following opening round matches can be viewed live and exclusive on NPL.TV this weekend:

Round 1 NPL NSW Women’s

Sunday 19 July

3pm – Blacktown Spartans v North West Sydney Koalas – Blacktown Football Park

3pm – Manly United v FNSW Institute – Cromer Park

3pm – Emerging Jets v Sydney Olympic – Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility

3pm – Sydney University v Macarthur Rams Womens – Sydney University Football Ground

3:30pm – Northern Tigers v Bankstown City – North Turramurra Recreation Area

7:05pm – APIA Leichhardt v Illawarra Stingrays – Lambert Park

Round 1 NPL 2 NSW Men’s

Saturday 18 July

7pm – SD Raiders v Hills United – Ernie Smith Reserve

7pm – NWS Spirit FC v Bonnyrigg White Eagles – Christie Park

7pm – Blacktown Spartans v Central Coast Mariners – Blacktown Football Park

7pm – Northern Tigers v Newcastle Jets – North Turramurra Recreation Area No 1

Sunday 19 July

3pm – Hakoah Sydney City East v St George FC – Hensley Athletic Field

Football NSW’s move from social media streaming to Sportradar’s innovative OTT platform will allow the organisation to control the content, allowing for more in-depth and data-driven insights into the area of viewer behaviour and can outline how this can tell more engaging stories to these fans.

Previous ArticleNext Article

Sydney Derby viewership revealed as Network 10 back football on primary channel

Avatar
Image Credits: A-League

Friday night’s opening fixture of the 2026/27 A-League Men’s season reached reached an audience of 434,000 people nationally across the free-to-air 10 Network. Less than a week on from the 207,000 that watched the Australia Cup final, it represents further reason to be cautiously optimistic about the season ahead.

Network 10 broadcast the Sydney Derby on it’s primary station, as opposed to last season’s airing on 10 Drama. The shift gives the opening match of the season a more prominent place on free-to-air television; whether the network continues to select choice matches to enjoy this status remains to be seen.

The figures show a positive trend in comparison to January’s meeting of the same sides, which attracted total broadcast audience of 114,000 and a national reach of 258,000 on Channel 10. Both matches faced fierce TV competition with January’s match rivalling the Australian Open on Nine and the 2026/2027 opener with the 2026 Men’s & Women’s Rugby League World Cup airing matches across the Seven Network on the same night.

The opening-round figure offers an early indication of the audience the competition can attract. Future rounds will show whether the A-League can maintain that reach across the season. The league will also look to convert that television exposure into sustained interest in its clubs and matches. Strong viewing figures can help strengthen the case for football in the Australian sporting market.

For now, the 434,000 national audience alongside strong attendance at the Australia Cup final provides a positive starting point for the 2026/27 campaign. The next challenge is to build on that audience as the season progresses.

Football Queensland remove fees for match officials in 2027

Avatar

Football Queensland has announced referee enrolment fees across the state will be removed in 2027, to help create an affordable and accessible pathway to officiating.

The decision marks another moment in FQ’s ten point plan to transform refereeing.

Whereas referees in Victoria can be charged between $100-$250 annually, FQ have opened the doors for all.

CEO Robert Cavallucci said in a statement via FQ, ‘Football Queensland is proud to confirm that all match officials will pay $0 in FQ enrolment fees to referee in 2027, in a major boost for Queenslanders as we make it even easier for participants in every corner of the state to become a referee.’

As football grows at an exponential rate in Australia, so too does its need for officials. 

This welcoming and direct route to refereeing will hopefully see football in Queensland benefit in numerous ways. More trained officials means more games can be played; with more games comes more talent, and further opportunity for it to develop.

Cavallucci continued: ‘By reducing barriers to officiating through the removal of match official enrolment fees for 2027, Football Queensland’s additional investment in referee ‘match day’ development and training will also see a significant expansion of the statewide match day coaching program, delivering benefits to match officials in every region.’

With increased investment comes recognition the development of referee welfare frameworks must continue to be improved. A central aspect to FQ’s strategy is the concept of rest and rotation; with more referees comes the ability to step out of the high-pressure environment on the pitch on occasion, ensuring burn out of stress can be regulated in what is ostensibly a challenging job.

Football Queenslands commitment to the game via officials should be celebrated and inspire other organisations to do the same. Investing in officials can only further advance football in Australia.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend