New directors welcomed at Sport NSW Annual General Meeting

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Sport NSW
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Sport NSW hosted its Industry Forum and the Annual General Meeting (AGM) earlier this month in-person for the first time since the pandemic started – where two new directors, with an additional returning director, were elected to the board of Sport NSW.

Among the changes to Sport NSW include Erin Lorenzini, Head of Cricket Operations, Government Relations and Infrastructure at Cricket NSW, as well as Maria Nordstrom, Chief Executive Officer at Basketball NSW, along with the current Finance Director, David Sexton, who get the ball rolling in their two-year contracts.

In the meantime, Sport NSW also bid adieu to the former Chairperson, Carolyn Campbell, who had overseen seven successful years as Director, including four as a Chair. At the AGM, Life Membership of Sport NSW was granted to her to acknowledge her monumental contribution to the sector throughout the two stints as a director amounting to 12 years of service.

Sport NSW is an independent not-for-profit organisation for the sport in the state, representing all sporting companies in NSW as The Voice of Sport to elevate and be responsive for any matters that effect every level of sport all around the state, also furthering their development in physical activities in New South Wales.

The strategies of Sport NSW are built on three key pillars, mainly being Advocacy, Recognition and Networking, and Sport Development and Collaboration.

Under the Advocacy program, the not-for-profit organisation represents more than 80 State Sporting Organisations, and also Disability State Sporting Organisations, Local Councils, sports industry bodies, local clubs and sports businesses. Sport NSW support instances for all sport regarding all levels of government, furthermore, other agencies in the interests of the entire division in the state.

As for the Recognition and Networking, it involves celebrating the sporting achievements of athletes by the local community, along with the administrators, officials, coaches and volunteers, also presenting the NSW Champions of Sport Ceremony, together with the annual NSW Sports Awards and NSW Hall of Champions Induction, and the Community Sports Awards along with other professional and social contacts.

For the final pillar which is Sport Development and Collaboration, a key objective of Sport NSW’s blueprint is working with members in building and sharing the knowledge through guidance and showcasing the best practices of the industry.

The existing partners of Sport NSW include but are not limited to the Office of Sport and NSW Communities and Justice in the NSW Government divisions, along with the University of NSW, sports law experts Lander and Rogers, and children’s charity, Variety, helping thousands of kids who have disabilities, chronic illnesses or facing financial difficulties to allowing to be a better version of themselves.

Sport NSW can add its vision of being the Voice of Sport to the existing clubs and organisations in Victoria, especially for the clubs advocating to be in the second division of the A-League, and also providing value for the diligent work of the volunteers throughout the season and everyone else involved at the club, and the loyal supporters who cheer on their club week in, week out.

To find more information about Sport NSW, click here.

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SBS confirms exclusive Australian rights to 2030 FIFA World Cup

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Editorial credit: kovop

SBS has officially secured the exclusive Australian broadcast rights to the 2030 FIFA World Cup, meaning Australians will again be able to watch all 104 matches of the tournament live and free. The network will carry the tournament across television, video and radio and, as with 2026, all games will be streamed via SBS On Demand. 

The agreement was confirmed on 1 September, and will see the long-running partnership between the broadcaster and FIFA extend to 44 years. SBS first broadcast the World Cup 1986, when Argentina won the tournament in Mexico.

SBS Managing Director Jane Palfreyman said the World Cup remained central to the broadcaster’s role in Australian football, bringing Australians together across cultures, languages and communities.

The new deal follows a strong 2026 edition. More than 18 million Australians watched the coverage, while SBS also recorded more than 209 million hours of consumption across its World Cup content. Approximately 55 per cent of this consumption came via digital platforms. SBS offered full matches alongside shorter ‘mini match’ recaps through SBS On Demand.

First reporting that SBS and FIFA had extended their partnership emerged in July, although had remained unconfirmed until this point.

The latest announcement confirms that reporting. The earlier report also highlighted the importance of the deal for Australian football fans. SBS would retain a free-to-air pathway to every World Cup match. The deal also gives certainty around one of the biggest sporting properties in the world. This is particularly relevant as FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino come under increased pressure.

The 2022 edition saw FIFA increase its valuation over broadcast rights, with key markets such as China having a price tag of $349 million ($250 million USD) from the governing body. For Australian football, the significance goes beyond the tournament itself.

The World Cup remains one of the sport’s biggest drivers of mainstream attention. Keeping every match live and free gives Australian fans continued access to the competition without a subscription barrier.

Europe Is Packing Out Stadiums – Is Australia Missing the Bigger Picture?

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Image credit: Maciej Rogowski

More than 60 million fans attended matches across Europe’s five major domestic leagues during the 2025/26 season, with average attendances rising 2.4 per cent to 34,402 spectators per game.

On the surface, the figures paint a picture of a healthy ecosystem. Stadiums are fuller than ever, supporters continue to attend in large numbers and live football remains one of the most compelling entertainment products in the world.

But headline crowd figures only tell part of the story.

The more revealing measure is stadium utilisation how much of a venue’s capacity is actually being filled and the structural factors influencing those numbers.

For clubs, higher attendances don’t simply mean more ticket sales. Every additional supporter creates revenue opportunities across hospitality, food and beverage, merchandise and memberships. Modern stadiums are increasingly designed to maximise revenue per visitor, making infrastructure investment as much a commercial decision as a football one.

Attendance growth needs context

In Germany, the Bundesliga reclaimed its position as Europe’s best-attended league, averaging more than 42,300 spectators per match following a 9.4 per cent increase on last year’s figures.

However, much of that growth was driven by the return of traditional powerhouses Hamburger SV and 1. FC Köln. Both clubs continued to attract crowds of more than 50,000 despite spending recent seasons in the second division.

Their promotion didn’t suddenly create new supporters.

It returned two of German football’s biggest fan bases to the top flight, demonstrating how promotion and relegation can significantly influence league-wide attendance trends.

Everton shows how new stadiums can unlock demand

While the Premier League recorded another increase in average attendance, much of that growth can be traced to Everton’s move into the new Hill Dickinson Stadium. The larger venue added almost 13,000 spectators per home match compared with Goodison Park, accounting for more than half of the league’s overall attendance growth during the season.

Rather than generating new demand, the project unlocked demand that already existed.

That distinction matters.

Attendance should be viewed alongside stadium utilisation because many clubs have effectively reached capacity.

A stadium averaging 98 per cent capacity tells a very different story to one averaging 60 per cent, even if the latter attracts more spectators overall.

High utilisation suggests strong demand, pricing power and a compelling matchday experience, while lower utilisation can indicate untapped potential or a venue unfit for its market.

Capacity is becoming a strategic issue

In competitions where grounds are regularly close to full, future growth will depend less on attracting new supporters and more on expanding or redeveloping stadiums.

Elsewhere, the opportunity lies in making better use of existing capacity.

Spain illustrates how infrastructure can also temporarily suppress attendances. Barcelona’s continued absence from the Spotify Camp Nou during its redevelopment has limited crowd numbers despite strong demand.

Real Madrid’s renovated Santiago Bernabéu, meanwhile, demonstrates how modern stadium investment can increase not only capacity but also commercial revenue through premium hospitality.

League structures also shape attendance trends

Ligue 1’s growth over recent seasons has coincided with its reduction from 20 clubs to 18, concentrating a greater number of well-supported clubs within the competition and lifting average attendances as a result.

Stadium investment, league composition, promotion and relegation, and long-term supporter culture all play a role.

Taken together, the figures suggest that attendance growth is rarely driven by a single factor.

The lesson for Australian football

Crowd figures are often viewed as the primary indicator of a league’s health, but European football demonstrates that context matters just as much as the headline number.

The recent Australia Cup fixture between South Melbourne and Preston Lions provides a good local example. While the official attendance was 6,673, the packed grandstands, active supporter groups and television presentation created an atmosphere that felt far larger than the raw figure suggested.

It was a reminder that fan engagement, venue utilisation and matchday experience can often say more about the health of a competition than attendance alone.

A sold-out 15,000-seat stadium may indicate stronger demand than a half-full 30,000-seat venue, while investment in infrastructure can unlock thousands of additional supporters without changing underlying interest in the game itself.

As clubs continue to invest in new stadiums and redevelop existing venues, attendance should increasingly be measured not simply by how many people are watching, but by how effectively football is meeting supporter demand.

The crowds may be rising, but the real story is why.

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