Channel 10 and Paramount+ have hit the ground running

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Adelaide players appear on Studio 10 CREDIT: ADELAIDE UNITED

Channel 10 and Paramount have hit the ground running by promoting the A-League to both casual fans and bolted-on supporters, and Australian football will only continue to benefit from their commitment towards promoting the beautiful game.

Fans are already relishing the increased accessibility created by a new broadcast deal. To watch all the A-League games previously, it would cost $25 a month for a Kayo Sports basic subscription, compared to the $9 a month a fan will pay next season for a Paramount+ subscription.

Paramount+ has created an ingenious way to win over A-League members through collaboration with their clubs. The offer – with assistance from Australian Professional Leagues (APL) – subsidises and reduces the cost of a subscription to Paramount+ for A-League members and is a winner with nothing but positive feedback from supporters. Currently, the best was an early bird offer from Melbourne Victory for $60 a year (which has now expired), however most clubs are offering a yearly subscription for around $75.

This has helped alleviate fears that there are too many platforms to watch football, and that costs could become too high. This move by ViacomCBS will certainly garner goodwill and positivity from the people who make up the backbone of A-League support.

While Foxtel was a great partner to the A-League for many years, which allowed an Australian top-flight league to stay relatively stable during its tenure as a broadcaster, in recent years football in Australia has stagnated. The ability to introduce the A-League to not just sports fans, but also casual fans is the biggest strength of the partnership between the league and Channel 10.

Studio 10 featured an interview with Adelaide players Stefan Mauk and Kusini Yengi, and we are surely going to see more of these exclusives featured as we approach the beginning of the A-League regular season. We are already seeing cross-promotion of the A-League through their other shows and news programs. Melbourne Victory’s former talismanic striker Archie Thompson is appearing on Celebrity Masterchef, in a crossover attempt to win over casual viewers. When the A-League season begins, you can only imagine how this coverage will expand and feature in the channel’s line-up.

The coverage of football in Channel 10’s news bulletins and programs has changed recently. The A-League has never seen transfers and news being prioritised in the way they are now on a free-to-air commercial station, and this can only be good for the game. Each night the network makes up around 17% of all TV viewership Australia-wide, and the possibilities for cross-promotional activity have only just scratched the surface. 10 News First regularly draws over 500,000 people for their nightly show, and introducing A-League stars with the league itself to these viewers can produce growth and exposure like Australian football has never seen before.

The new broadcast deal for next season is an opportunity for the A-League to refresh itself, and ViacomCBS are certainly giving it their all to ensure this happens. Channel 10 appears to be going all-in on ensuring the opportunity to market Australian football to a new audience is not being wasted. A challenge for the A-League and Channel 10 will be finding a way to reach the large number of lapsed fans who have stopped following the A-League for various reasons.

The next step for Paramount+ and 10 is ensuring they have the right broadcast team in place for games.  Fox Sport’s A-League commentators have been maligned in recent years, however there are passionate and skilled play-by-play announcers who are waiting to be picked up. Simon Hill is currently freelancing for Optus Sport and would be a shrewd pickup as lead announcer for A-League games. Rumours of his acquisition by 10 circulated earlier this year, and he is proven quality who is dedicated and knowledgeable about Australian football.

Australian football could see a change in fortune if ViacomCBS can continue to expand upon this level of promotion for the A-League. By engaging new fans, ensuring lapsed fans are reached, and continuing to offer value to the committed and faithful, Channel 10 and Paramount+ can build upon the strong foundations that they have already laid before the season has even kicked off.

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‘We Can Do So Much More’: Players Take Control of the A-League Women’s Future

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Image Credit: One Nil

Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) has launched Ready For Takeoff – The Players’ Vision for the A-League Women, a player-led roadmap outlining the future direction of the domestic women’s competition.

Unveiled on Wednesday at Ultra Football in Melbourne, the initiative places current A-League Women players at the centre of discussion. Elevating the debate around professionalism, sustainability and long-term growth of the league.

The Players’ Vision for the A-League Women – Image Credit: One Nil

The vision, developed through consultation with players across the competition, calls for improved professional standards, greater investment and governance structures that reflect the specific needs of the women’s game. It comes amid ongoing conversations about contract security, season length and the transition toward full-time professionalism.

PFA Chief Executive Beau Busch – Image Credit: One Nil

PFA Chief Executive Beau Busch said players had been clear about the sacrifices required to continue competing in the league.

“We’ve heard from players about the struggle and sacrifices they continue to make to play the game they love, but we can do so much more than this,” Busch said. “A fully professional game here in Australia is crucial to creating the next generation of Matildas, but also to ensure we reach our potential and win a FIFA World Cup.”

PFA Deputy Chair Elise Kellond-Knight and A-League Women players Grace Maher and Dylan Holmes also addressed media, reinforcing the importance of player voices in shaping the future of the competition.

The PFA said Ready For Takeoff provides a clear, achievable framework for the continued evolution of the A-League Women. The initiative urges stakeholders to work collaboratively with players to ensure the league’s growth matches the talent, ambition and momentum of women’s football in Australia.

Central Coast Mariners enter into liquidation after financial troubles

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Khunkorn Studio / Shutterstock.com

It was announced on Monday this week that the Central Coast Mariners will be temporarily managed by the APL Board during the sales process. The decision comes after several years of uncertainty and financial challenges within the club.

 

Short-term survival, long-term stability

It has been no secret that the Central Coast Mariners have struggled to balance their success on the pitch with administrative security off it. Years of financial turbulence and ownership changes have brought significant challenges to the club, culminating in the decision to enter the club into liquidation and seek a new buyer. 

While a sales process is completed and a stable, long-term owner sought out to secure the long-term future of the Mariners, the APL will act as a managing body on an interim basis. APL Chair, Stephen Conroy, has affirmed the board’s intentions to ensure the club’s survival despite current uncertainty. 

‘The APL Board is resolute in its commitment to fans and stakeholders to protect the game’s best interests, and make decisive action to ensure the ongoing growth, stability and integrity of the A-Leagues,’, he said via an APL statement on Monday. 

‘As custodians of the game, we believe it is the best course of proactive action – for the short and long term interest of the Club – to terminate the current CPA under the current ownership, and run an expedited and robust sale process to find a new and stable long-term owner for the Mariners,’ he continued. 

For now, the priority remains with ensuring the survival of one of the A-League’s most successful clubs. It is, of course, not just about the short-term survival of financial or commercial assets, but about restoring the long-term stability of the club’s board and the trust of the Mariners’ loyal fanbase.

 

A-League funding difficulties 

When previous owner, Richard Peil, announced his departure from the club in 2024, issues with funding from the APL were cited as explanations for the financial challenges experienced during his tenure. Across the span of two seasons, the annual distribution from the APL to each club fell from $2.35 million to $530,000. 

With such a significant cut, the Central Coast Mariners struggled to continue operating. Peil departed in 2024, returning operations back to Mike Charlesworth who had acted as chairman from 2013 to 2022.

The move came as a shock to the league and to the Mariners’ fanbase, who had enjoyed an incredible treble-winning year in 2024 and became the first professional men’s football club to achieve the feat. With such impressive achievements on the pitch overshadowed by challenges off it, the Central Coast Mariners are unfortunately not the first club faced with conflicting fortunes.

Mere months ago, Western United entered a period of ‘hibernation’ during the 2025/26 season to address several financial and legal issues. The decision left players and staff stranded, and featured as a source of criticism for the APL in the A-League Men Report 2024/25.

 

Hope for the future

Despite the troubling implications of another A-League club plagued by financial issues and with news breaking yesterday that the Central Coast Mariners’ Academy has also entered into liquidation, the future of the club is by no means over. 

As the main professional sports team representing the entire Central Coast, the club has huge potential to be both a sporting and commercial centre for the region going forward. Furthermore, with an impressive training infrastructure at the Mariner’s Centre of Excellence, and a proven history of high-quality players and coaches, the club has some of the essential ingredients to achieve new levels of success. 

The one thing which of course still remains, is a reliable and stable team behind the scenes who can steer the club back to the top of the A-League. To this end, Conroy has expressed his confidence in the APL to find the right buyer. 

“We believe in the value that Central Coast Mariners bring to the A-leagues. They’ve shown with the right investment and community engagement, they have a vibrant fanbase and a proven ability to consistently compete for on field success,” he said. 

“We are confident that with the engaged local and international interest, we can find the right buyer for the Mariners to take the Club forward and ensure their long term success.”

While uncertainty remains around the Mariners’ current situation and future owners, it will be hoped by fans, players and staff that years of off-pitch turbulence can be put to rest by a more stable and successful future. 

 

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