Football Australia and Paramount Australia confirm historic multi-year media rights deal

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OOTBALL AUSTRALIA AND PARAMOUNT AUSTRALIA AGREE TO HISTORIC MULTI-YEAR, MULTI-PLATFORM MEDIA RIGHTS DEAL FOR AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL TEAMS THROUGH TO 2028

Football Australia has confirmed that Paramount Australia, the parent company of Network 10 and Paramount+, will be the official broadcaster for the CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos in Australia. This deal includes the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™ hosted in Australia and the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™.

Over 100 international matches featuring the Matildas and Socceroos will be broadcast live, with at least 50 available on free-to-air TV.

Paramount has also secured exclusive rights to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™, in a partnership with IMG.

The agreement extends through 2028, encompassing all CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos friendly matches, AFC tournaments, and Australia Cup Finals. This deal, specifically with ING, also consolidates broadcasting rights under a single platform, ensuring extensive coverage across 96% of Australian households.

With the CommBank Young Matildas opener in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Colombia 2024™ kicking off on September 1st, 2024, fans will immediately benefit from this deal.

James Johnson, CEO of Football Australia, remarked: “This landmark agreement with Paramount Australia is a pivotal moment for Australian football. It brings unprecedented exposure to our national teams and provides fans with unparalleled access to the CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos.

“Innovation is the cornerstone of our approach to sustaining and expanding the influence of Australian football. Reacquiring the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) National Team rights and securing the broadcast rights to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™ are strategic moves designed to maximise control over our content, enhance fan accessibility, and unlock new revenue streams.

“These rights are integral to our strategy to secure a transformative broadcast deal that we anticipate will set new benchmarks in the valuation of football media rights in Australia. Bringing as much national team content as possible to a multi-platform partner was a key objective from a fan’s perspective, and we are thrilled to achieve this.

“We look forward to our continued partnership with Paramount Australia, a relationship that has been pivotal in delivering high-quality football matches to our fans. This ongoing collaboration will be crucial as we navigate future opportunities and challenges in the dynamic media landscape.

“We also extend our gratitude to the IMG team for their invaluable support in navigating this complex negotiation with all parties involved and our friends at FIFA and AFC for their tremendous support and collaboration,” concluded Mr. Johnson.

This agreement reinforces Paramount Australia’s commitment to Australian football, which boasts the highest participation rate of club sport in the country and is the leading organized sport for children under 14.

With exclusive coverage of the A-Leagues, Paramount has been involved in Australian football for many years and continue to provide football fans with local broadcasts.

“Australian football fans are the winners here,” said Beverley McGarvey, President of Network 10 and Paramount Australia’s Head of Streaming and Regional Lead.

“Never before have fans had such incredible access to the sport they love, ranging from the A-Leagues all the way through to premium international games broadcast on one free-to-air network and one of Australia’s fastest-growing streaming platforms.

“Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of the Paramount Australia agreement, which we see as an exciting extension of our coverage of the A-Leagues, is the opportunity for women’s football.

“All CommBank Matildas’ games at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 will be telecast by Network 10 on free-to-air television, as will all Matildas’ games in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™,” Ms. McGarvey said.

Fans can access the broadcasts via Network 10 and/or Paramount+ subscriptions, exactly like the A-Leagues coverage.

Exclusive behind-the-scenes content, interactive fan engagement opportunities, and social media initiatives will be part of this comprehensive coverage.

The full list of rights included in the agreement are:

  • AFC Asian Qualifiers (FIFA World Cup 2026™ Asian Qualifiers Final Round)
    5 Sep 24 – Australia v Bahrain on Network 10, 10 Play, and Paramount+.
    10 Sep 24 – Indonesia v Australia exclusive on Paramount+.
    10 Oct 24 – Australia v China PR on Network 10, 10 Play, and Paramount+.
    15 Oct 24 – Japan v Australia exclusive on Paramount+.
    14 Nov 24 – Australia v Saudi Arabia on Network 10, 10 Play, and Paramount+.
    19 Nov 24 – Bahrain v Australia exclusive on Paramount+.
    20 Mar 25 – Australia v Indonesia on Network 10, 10 Play, and Paramount+.
    25 Mar 25 – China PR v Australia exclusive on Paramount+.
    5 Jun 25 – Australia v Japan on Network 10, 10 Play, and Paramount+.
    10 Jun 25 – Saudi Arabia v Australia exclusive on Paramount+.
  • FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™ (15 matches on Network 10, all matches on Paramount+).
  • AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™ (six matches on Network 10, all matches on Paramount+).
  • AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ (all matches exclusively on Paramount+).
  • AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026™ and 2028™.
  • All CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos International Friendlies 2025 to 2028 (15 CommBank Matildas Friendlies on Network 10, all matches on Paramount+ and 10 Subway Socceroos’ Friendlies on Network 10, all matches on Paramount+).
  • Australia Cup Finals 2025 to 2028.
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Louie Acevski discusses NPL season 2025 and NST on SEN radio

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Image credit: Preston Lions FC

Preston Lions Senior Men’s Head Coach, Louie Acevski, went live on SEN Radio yesterday with Julian De Stoop to discuss the upcoming Victoria NPL season and National Second Tier competition (NST).

Having achieved promotion from the VPL1 after a successful 2024, the Lions will face a busy year in 2025.

Beginning on February 7, the Preston Lions will kick off their first match in the NPL with a game against Hume City at home. However, the Lions will also take part in the new NST competition in October.

Speaking on the season ahead, Acevski expressed his enthusiasm.

“Coming into NPL 1 season this year, where we haven’t been part of it for a long time, it’s exciting times,” Acevski said on radio.

“There’s derby games week in, week out, and we’re hoping to get anywhere between four to 6000 people per game on a Friday night. I know round one against Hume City will be a huge crowd.

“There will be some entertainment. Facilities are fantastic. Ground will be exceptional. Lights will be on, and cameras will be rolling.

“It’s a great product to watch and be a part of. I, to this day, still get goosebumps every time I walk out.”

Having achieved four promotions across the last six seasons, the Preston Lions have achieved immense success in a short time frame. However, Acevski was aware of the fraught competitiveness of the NPL.

“Expectations are very simple for us, It’s an unknown quantity at the moment,” he said.

“The NPL 1 is a very, very tough league, and we’re the new kids on the block. We’re just coming into it to put a bit of security and put the foundations down in NPL 1.”

At the end of the NPL season, Preston will take part in the recently created National Second Tier competition as a foundation club.

Acevski outlined the importance of the competition for Australian football.

“The B league is so important. The quicker we bring it in, the better,” he said.

“We need to give kids opportunities to grow further and become better players in a better environment, closer to a professional environment, and the B league will give us that.”

Preston will enter the 16-team competition as one of eight foundation clubs, hoping to become a mainstay in the tournament which will run from October to December next year.

“We’re in a really good place. The foundations have been constructed. We’re moving up to bigger and better things, and every year we’re just trying to improve as a club,” he continued to say.

“We just want to make and bring a product to Australian football that everybody wants to be a part of and wants to come and watch us on a Friday night.

“The success is not a one person show, you’re as good as your team in relation to your staff, players, committees, etcetera. We’re all on the same status and wavelength about what we want to do and how we want to go about it.

“Come this season, the B league, as an official home and away season is not commencing, but the Victoria NPL 1 season will be a short advertisement for it. You’ll the see the passion, love and support base around these games, and it’s just going to be a snippet of what the B league can and probably should be.”

To listen to the full interview, click here.

Workplace Law renews collaboration with Melbourne City FC

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Image credit: Melbourne City

Melbourne City FC has confirmed the renewal of its partnership with Workplace Law, a leading provider of employment and workplace relations expertise, for another two years.

Following a successful inaugural season together, this renewal signifies an ongoing collaboration that highlights shared commitments to excellence, equality, and innovation.

Workplace Law continues to support City’s Women’s program, with their logo proudly displayed on the back of the A-League Women’s training kit.

Furthermore, the logo will feature on the matchday attire of City Women’s Head Coach, Michael Matricciani, reflecting Workplace Law’s unwavering dedication to advancing women in sport.

Melbourne City FC’s partnership with Workplace Law, backed by a history of driving success on and off the field, aligns with the Club’s goal of fostering a high-performance culture for its players and staff.

Melbourne City FC CEO, Brad Rowse, shared his enthusiasm for the renewed partnership.

“We’re delighted to continue our partnership with Workplace Law, a company that shares our passion for driving excellence and creating opportunities for women in sport,” he said via press release.

“Their support plays a vital role in ensuring our Women’s program can continue to thrive, both on and off the pitch. We look forward to achieving even greater success together over the next two years.”

Workplace Law Director and CEO, Shane Koelmeyer, shared this excitement.

“We absolutely love being part of the Melbourne City family and are delighted to extend our partnership for another two seasons. They are the ‘gold standard’ when it comes to creating the ideal high-performance environment for their coaches and players to thrive on and off the pitch,” he said via press release.

“The Club has a wonderful history of sustained success in both the women’s and men’s programs, and we look forward to sharing in, along with their other amazing partners, further success in the future.”

This partnership not only bolsters Melbourne City’s ALW program but also showcases Workplace Law’s commitment to empowering teams and individuals to excel.

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