Australian football hits the broadcast market: Where will the rights land?

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Crunch time is fast approaching for Football Australia and the APL, with new broadcast deals set to be struck independently in the coming weeks.

Football Australia have regained the broadcast rights to all Socceroos and Matildas internationals, Asian Cup qualifiers and World Cup qualifiers according to the SMH, and are now looking to on-sell to broadcasters.

“There are a lot of national team games because of the backlog of the calendar in the lead-up to Qatar 2022 and Australia and New Zealand 2023. We will go to market with even more national team games than what we have had in the past and I think that is a very attractive market in this competitive environment that we have in broadcast today,” FFA CEO James Johnson told SMH.

The APL are also in the process of negotiating a new TV deal for the A-League and W-League which will look to secure the future of the professional game in Australia.

Whilst there will likely be a free-to-air component for each deal, here are the companies that may stump up the majority of the cash:

Stan Sport

Stan Sport are a relative newcomer to the sport media rights landscape in Australia. They recently secured the rights to showcase Super Rugby matches on their platform, with Rugby Australia also signing a free-to-air deal with Channel Nine, who are owners of the streaming service.

A similar type of deal may be attractive to the APL or Football Australia, as Channel Nine also owns major newspapers across the country such as The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

A positive media narrative is something the game is crying out for after years of negativity, and a partnership with Stan and Channel Nine should guarantee an increase in media visibility for Australian Football across a range of channels.

Stan is interested, with a need to add to their low portfolio of sport at the moment, as they look to continue to build up their Stan Sport add-on service.

Fox Sports/Kayo

Fox Sports have had the broadcast rights for the A-League since the competition’s inception and shown some of the Socceroos’ and Matildas’ biggest moments over the past 15 years.

Their current on-air talent includes the likes of Mark Bosnich, Archie Thompson, Robbie Slater and Robbie Cornthwaite.

Fox also has the Australian rights to the Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga, English Championship and more across their platforms.

Over the past few years Fox have been disappointed with the linear TV ratings of the A-League and have axed magazine shows,  as well as holding back on overall production values for their broadcasts.

Despite this, the company is still interested in brokering a new deal, but there are question marks around their coverage.

Constant technical issues have plagued the broadcast of W-League games this season on Fox and they continue to focus the majority of their energy and investment around NRL, AFL and Cricket.

Optus Sport

As of February 2021, Optus Sport had 868,000 subscribers to their service.

The streaming platform currently have the Australian rights to the English Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, FA Women’s Super League, J League, Euro 2021, Copa America 2021, J League and more.

Current on-air talent includes the likes of John Aloisi, Michael Bridges, Mark Schwarzer and Kevin Muscat.

The company have produced a range of different programs that go along with their high-quality production of pre-and post-game shows for the UEFA Champions League and English Premier League. This includes the Football Belongs podcast and Women’s Football Oz Style.

Optus Sport are well within its rights to say they are the home of football in Australia; however, the addition of A-League/W-League and Socceroos/Matildas content rights will leave no doubt.

Sports Flick

The Sydney based start-up streaming service have a range of unique content on their platform including the rights to the UEFA Women’s Champions League and the K-League. They have reportedly done a deal that has seen them grab the UEFA Champions League rights off Optus Sport from next season.

Will they look to Australian football properties for more content?

Others: DAZN, Amazon

Let us know where you want to see the rights end up, join the conversation on Twitter @Soccersceneau.

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Allianz Australia Unveils New Football Fan Hub

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Image Credit: Shez Ford LinkedIn

Allianz Australia, Insurance Partner of Football Australia, has revealed a cutting-edge digital platform directed at Australian football supporters, known as the Fan Hub.

This new initiative reflects Allianz’s ongoing commitment to building strong community connections through the unifying power of sport.

Football fans are invited to regularly visit the Allianz Fan Hub — a one-stop destination for all things football, offering a rich mix of exclusive content, updates, and experiences.

Allianz Insurance Chief General Manager, Consumer, Shez Ford, shared her excitement about the upcoming match and the launch of the Allianz Fan Hub.

“Not only will Australians have the opportunity to watch what I’m sure is going to be a nail-biting match between Australia and the Republic of Korea, but we will also see two of our major partnerships, Allianz Stadium and Football Australia, come together,” she said via press release.

“The creation of the Allianz Fan Hub and the Pre-Match Warm Up Top is a natural extension of these partnerships, creating a unique opportunity for Allianz to continue authentically engaging with the football community.”

Football Australia CEO, James Johnson, reflected on the collaboration with Allianz and the launch of the new initiatives.

“It has been a massive team effort to bring Allianz Fan Hub, and the Pre-Match Warm Up Tops to life with Allianz,” he said via press release.

“These new offerings further cement their commitment to inclusivity, community, and unity in football, which are key values for Football Australia.

“We are looking forward to continuing to work closely and collaboratively with Allianz by providing unique and exclusive experiences for all football fans.”

Supporters can stay up to date with the latest competitions, promotions, and unique perks available throughout the season.

To celebrate the launch, Allianz is giving fans the chance to win big:

  • A Category A Double Pass to a CommBank Matildas home game in 2025, plus a $1,000 travel voucher and a signed Matildas jersey

  • A Category A Double Pass to a Subway Socceroos home game in 2025, including a $1,000 travel voucher and a signed Socceroos jersey

In addition, Allianz and Football Australia have teamed up to launch a new, co-branded Pre-Match Warm Up Top.

Available now via shop.footballaustralia.com.au and select retail partners, the top features a distinctive Allianz logo on the back, paired with a scannable QR code of the iconic Allianz Eagle — linking fans directly to the Fan Hub.

The launch coincided with the CommBank Matildas’ clash with Korea Republic on Friday, 4 April at Allianz Stadium in Sydney, as the squad prepares for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026.

This match marked a key moment where Allianz’s flagship partnerships — Allianz Stadium and Football Australia — came together, putting fans at the heart of the action.

On matchday, fans that attended Allianz Stadium had the chance to enter the Fan Hub’s major prize draw and show their Aussie pride by belting out “Go Australiaahhh.” Those who hit 125 decibels or more with their cheer will score an instant reward.

In an effort to boost the matchday experience for the 750 Allianz customers present, the Allianz social team will also surprise three lucky fans and their friends with upgraded seats to a corporate box.

Football Australia Announces Broadcasting Partnership with LIGR

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Image credit: Preston Lions FC

Football Australia has unveiled a partnership with Live Graphics Systems (LIGR) to establish a world-first centralised production and distribution model for over 3,500 matches annually across multiple competition tiers.

This ambitious undertaking is set to transform sports broadcasting efficiency whilst unlocking future commercial opportunities for Football Australia and its nine State and Territory Member Federations.

The collaboration comes as Football Australia prepares to kick off the Australian Championship this October.

In mid-2024, Football Australia began developing a new production strategy, defining requirements across multiple tiers of Australian football.

The strategy encompasses the Hahn Australia Cup, NSD and the top tier of Federation Competitions for both men and women (National Premier Leagues), Futsal and National Para-Football Championships included as well.

LIGR’s appointment followed a rigorous Request for Proposal (RFP) process, led by Football Australia in alliance with Member Federations, aimed at identifying a single partner capable of managing the complex scale.

LIGR, an Australian tech business recently acquired by European-based tech company Crionet, will provide technical and operational broadcast management, live monitoring and AI integration across Football Australia’s multi and single camera productions.

Additionally, LIGR’s world-leading streaming, graphics and highlights automation platform will enable seamless integration of key sponsors on broadcasts.

Football Australia Chief Executive Officer, James Johnson, highlighted the significance of the partnership.

“This partnership marks a defining moment in Australian football and represents a paradigm shift in the way the game is produced, distributed and commercialised both in Australia and abroad,” Johnson explained via Football Australia official press release.

“By unifying production across thousands of games and multiple tiers of competition, we are not only streamlining operations but also reshaping the future of football broadcasting in this country. This is innovation at scale.

“Through this centralised model, we are building long-term operational and cost efficiencies and can focus on building sustainable revenue streams for the connected football pyramid.”

Luke McCoy, CEO of LIGR, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership.

“At Crionet and LIGR, our mission is to disrupt the traditional sports production, streaming, and distribution landscape,” McCoy commented via Football Australia’s official press release.

“Our partnership with Football Australia and its State and Territory Member Federations represents a groundbreaking shift towards a truly aggregated model, marking a significant milestone for sports coverage in Australia.

“Our cutting-edge technology and innovative approach sets us apart, and we are excited to elevate the game, enhance fan engagement, and drive innovation across all levels of the sport.”

This multi-tier integration represents an unprecedented approach, as no other Australian rights holder has consolidated production across such a diverse range of competitions under a single centralised model.

This new centralised approach will allow the sport to optimise its production workflows and unlock new commercial opportunities in the evolving broadcast and streaming landscape.

An exciting development in increasing viewership and commercial viability for, as Football Australia’s 2024 National Participation Report confirmed, the most popular and fastest growing sport in the country.

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