Football Australia confirms clubs in Request for Proposal phase of the National Second Tier

Staff Writer
Images credit: Football NSW & Football Australia

Football Australia has formally announced 26 clubs that have successfully proceeded to the Request for Proposal (RFP) phase of the National Second Tier (NST) competition.

After careful consideration, these clubs have met the specific criteria from the initial Invitation for Expression of Interest (EOI) phase.

The EOI phase saw a total of 32 clubs from across Australia express their desire for the NST competition.

During the next stage in RFP, there will be a distribution of comprehensive Bid Documents to the shortlisted clubs, including an information memorandum, NST related data, financial forecasts, key terms of a Club Participation Agreement, and draft transaction documents.

This phase will be conducted confidentially, running from May to July 2023. It will be followed by an assessment and recommendation phase (July to August 2023) and is anticipated to be completed by September to October 2023.

The NST competition is part of Football Australia’s 15-year strategy for the sport, which is aimed at realigning Australian football competitions.

The full list of 26 shortlisted clubs for the RFP phase are broken down into each state, as per the following:

State / Territory (in alphabetical order) Club (in alphabetical order)
Australian Capital Territory
  1. Canberra Croatia FC
  2. Gungahlin United FC
NSW
  1. APIA Leichhardt FC
  2. Fraser Park FC
  3. Marconi Stallions FC
  4. Rockdale Ilinden FC
  5. Sydney Olympic FC
  6. Sydney United 58 FC
  7. Sutherland Sharks FC / Cronulla Sharks
  8. Wollongong Wolves FC
Queensland

 
  1. Brisbane City FC
  2. Brisbane United FC (Wynnum Wolves FC, Brisbane Strikers FC, Virginia United FC)
  3. Gold Coast Knights F.C.
  4. Gold Coast United FC
  5. Olympic FC
  6. Sunshine Coast FC
South Australia
  1. Adelaide City FC
  2. Football South Australia
Tasmania
  1. South Hobart FC
Victoria
  1. Avondale FC
  2. Brunswick Juventus FC
  3. Green Gully SC
  4. Heidelberg United FC
  5. Melbourne Knights FC
  6. Preston Lions FC
  7. South Melbourne FC

These clubs have been notified by Football Australia about their successful progression to the RFP phase.

Football Australia CEO James Johnson spoke about the significance of moving towards the next stage.

“We are delighted to announce the 26 shortlisted clubs for the National Second Tier competition, reflecting the passion and dedication that these clubs have shown in their pursuit of elevating Australian football.” he said.

“This significant milestone brings us one step closer to realising our 15-year vision for the sport, and we eagerly anticipate working hand-in-hand with these clubs to establish a thriving and sustainable National Second Tier competition.

“Together, we will shape the future landscape of football in Australia, offering new opportunities for growth and development while reconnecting and realigning our nation’s football competitions.”

The NST is predicted to begin in March 2024, containing 10-16 teams with a home and away league structure and finals, featuring 24 to 36 games. It is also mooted a group-based Champions League model could be implemented.

For more information about the NST application process, you can find it here.

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Bundesliga secures $7.39bn domestic broadcast deal

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Image credit: Bundesliga

The German Football League (DFL) has secured new domestic broadcast contracts for the Bundesliga worth $7.39 billion over four seasons.

The deal, which will run from the 2025/26 to 2028/29 campaigns, represents a modest 2% increase from the current rights package valued at $1.82 billion per season.

This development positions the Bundesliga as the second-highest earner in domestic media rights among football leagues, trailing only the Premier League.

Key Broadcasters and Packages

The DFL confirmed that pay-TV network Sky and streaming platform DAZN will remain the league’s primary broadcast partners:

  • Sky will air the majority of live matches, including Friday evening, Saturday fixtures, and relegation play-offs. It will also maintain exclusive coverage of 2. Bundesliga matches.
  • DAZN secured rights to the fan-favourite ‘Konferenz’ whip-around show and will broadcast Sunday matches. The deal also extends to the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland).

Free-to-air access is bolstered by:

  • Sat.1, which will broadcast key games such as season openers, relegation play-offs, and the German Super Cup.
  • ARD, ZDF, and Sport1, offering highlight rights.
  • RTL, airing Saturday evening 2. Bundesliga matches and highlight packages.
  • Axel Springer, managing short highlight clips for digital platforms.

DFL’s statement

DFL co-chief executive Steffen Merkel spoke on the incredible record-breaking TV deal that will advance German football.

“The result of the tender underlines the unbroken popularity of German professional football, despite economically challenging times,” Merkel said in a statement.

“Trust and unity within the league association have paid off. At the end of an intensive process, a very good and comprehensively secured financial result has now been achieved.

“The clubs now have planning security at a high financial level for another four years. For the fans, our future partners in both the pay and free-to-air markets will provide a high degree of consistency.”

DFL co-chief executive Marc Lenz shared the same positive sentiment about the new deal.

“The financial security achieved with this result is a key foundation for the positive development of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2. From this position of strength, we must tackle the economic, sporting and political challenges – and continue to develop our leagues together with the 36 clubs and make them fit for the future,” he said in a statement.

Market Context and Challenges

The increase in Bundesliga’s media rights revenue contrasts with declines experienced by other major European leagues like Serie A and Ligue 1.

The DFL’s ability to keep Sky and DAZN involved despite legal challenges reflects the league’s strong negotiation position. While DAZN received fewer live matches, its acquisition of the ‘Konferenz’ show could drive subscriber growth.

Future Outlook

The deal provides financial stability for Bundesliga clubs, giving them an advantage over many European rivals. Moving forward, the DFL will focus on expanding its international rights income, with the U.S. deal set to expire in 2026.

The Bundesliga’s mix of traditional TV, streaming, and free-to-air options ensures fans remain well-served, setting the stage for sustainable growth and global outreach.

QLD Government Joins Brisbane Roar and Football Queensland’s Community Program

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Image credit: Brisbane Roar

Brisbane Roar, Football Queensland (FQ), and the Queensland Government (QLD) have partnered to give more young people the chance to play football in the sunshine state.

Under the ‘Active! Queensland’ initiative, the QLD Government will provide a grant to Brisbane Roar’s not-for-profit organisation Roar Recreation and Welfare Limited, extending the Football Queensland and Roar Football in the Community Program.

The funding aims to empower more children to get involved in sport and increase the number of active footballers.

Over 10,000 junior participants are estimated to take part in a range of different activities in the program across 2025.

Brisbane Roar will be responsible for organising over 270 clinics through the scheme, these will include school holiday clinics, community and school programs, training and education, plus game day activities.

Minister for Sport, Tim Mander, outlined the importance of the partnership for Queenslander children.

“To have a healthy community, it is essential that we have an active community,” he said in a press release.

“The physical, social and psychological rewards of sport are enormous, and football plays an important role in seeing these benefits reach young Queenslanders.

“Which is why we are proud to partner with Brisbane Roar to help more local kids enjoy the game, and hopefully set them on a path to years of involvement in sport and active recreation.”

Brisbane Roar Chairman and CEO, Kaz Patafta, expressed his appreciation for the extensive partnership.

“From our ongoing consultation with the Queensland Government, we are beyond grateful to be receiving this support to grow our community programs in collaboration with Football Queensland,” he said via press release.

“With this new funding, Brisbane Roar together with Football Queensland is set to provide more opportunities for local Queensland kids to engage in football, aiming to expand the sport’s reach and impact across the region.

“We’re delighted to be able to provide more opportunities to local Queensland kids to play football as we endeavour to continue growing the game across Queensland.”

The partnership kicked off last Thursday at Suncorp stadium.

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