Record Optus Sport statistics backed up by immediate A-League Women support

-League Women - Sydney FC v Western Sydney Wanderers season 2023-24

Following the memorable FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, supporters have already started to show that crowd and viewing numbers won’t dwindle down.

Optus Sport revealed their data and insights from the tournament, where they were the only place to see all 64 matches. During the four weeks of the World Cup, viewing figures and social media numbers rose at a considerable rate.

In a Women’s World Cup that saw the Matildas finish fourth, Optus Sport captured the substantial ratings generated.

Below are the findings as per Optus Sport:

  • Coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 delivered the highest total minutes streamed for a tournament in Optus Sport history – up 30% from minutes streamed for UEFA Euro 2022.
  • Biggest month ever in Optus Sport history for total minutes streamed – up 17% on previous record.
  • On average, Optus Sport customers watched more than 21 hours of FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 coverage, with 75% viewing on TVs.
  • Three FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 matches are now in Optus Sport’s top five games of all time in terms of minutes streamed, with nine FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 matches now in the top 20 overall.
  • Over 100 million video views across all social platforms throughout the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.
  • Over 4000 pieces of content created/published throughout the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.
  • Optus Sport social platforms reached approximately 3.6 million Australians.
  • More than 400 articles covering the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 published throughout the tournament, achieving the highest ever monthly engagement in Optus Sport history, with 7 million reads.
  • Optus Sport FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Google Web Stories for the Matildas matches against France and England are the highest viewed Google Web Stories recorded in Australia.
  • Optus Sport experienced the biggest sign-up day ever in Optus Sport history.

Based on the start to the A-League Women’s season for 2023/24, the above numbers and figures are not a fluke.

After an off-season that saw Brisbane Roar, Canberra United, Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC all achieving their highest membership numbers ever, fans have begun to flock to games in a similar vein.

In opening round, Central Coast Mariners v Newcastle Jets was the record for the highest attendance for a standalone regular season Liberty A-League game, but that number was surpassed in the very next match by a Sydney FC v Western Sydney Wanderers derby that welcomed 11,471 fans to Allianz Stadium.

This will build a fantastic platform for the Liberty A-League – one that features penalty-taking hero Cortnee Vine running around for Sydney FC each week.

Not only that, the relaxed atmosphere of matches will allow young fans to look up to their favourite players and get them aspiring for bigger and greater goals.

Clive Dickens, Optus VP Television, Content and Product Development, stated that Optus Sport will be continuing to drive the positive momentum and shine the light on the women’s game going forward:

“Optus Sport continues to invest in – and be a champion of – football in this country,” he said via media release.

“And the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 served up some of the most incredible action we’ve ever seen; to have this played out across Australia and New Zealand and to see the crowd’s reaction to these amazing athletes has been truly incredible.

“We are dedicated to growing women’s football – and football more broadly – in Australia. The results reinforce the audience’s appetite for our best-in-class content strategy that brings world-class commentary and access-all-areas content that you can’t get anywhere else.

“We’ll continue to shine a light on the world’s best footballers, including our very own Matildas Sam Kerr, Caitlin Foord, Steph Catley, Mary Fowler, Alanna Kennedy, Clare Wheeler, Courtney Nevin, Lydia Williams, Teagan Micah, and Mackenzie Arnold.”

Sources:

  • QuickSight analytics, total minutes from all matches in OS history.
  • Emplifi, total video views across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube from July 20 to August 20, 2023
  • QuickSight analytics, total minutes streamed and paid account reach from July 20 to August 20, 2023
  • Google analytics and Apple News, total article views and unique reach from July 20 to August 20, 2023
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Football NSW Builds Female Leadership Pipeline

Football NSW’s Women in Football Leadership Program conducted a 2-day face-to-face workshop at the Pullman Sydney Olympic Park. Twenty-three curated female participants from football organisations across NSW attended the workshop. This is part of a larger 5-week leadership program that has developed over 100 female participants.

The program consisted of mixed training through In-person workshops, self-guided electronic learning and online webinars. Topics consisted of sports governance, conflict management, personality types and team dynamics.

Monarch Management and Monica Beazley facilitated the program; Beazley spoke on the importance and necessity for the workshop,

“When like-minded women come together, they create a network of support, rich in life experience and inspiration that can drive real change.”

The aims and aspirations of the program coincide with developing skills and growth, instilling confidence in women to pursue leadership roles and building networking opportunities for female support within the football industry. The program emphasises immediate skill growth and long-term leadership development.

The Football NSW’s Women in Football Leadership Program started in 2023 and the networking aspect of the program has remained key for the participants in sustaining successful partnerships and connections within the male-dominated industry.

“As the facilitator of the Football NSW Women in Football Leadership Conference, I witnessed first-hand how these connections ignite growth and encourage us all to push forward. The greatest takeaway for me was realising just how many talented women are already shaping this sport,” said Beazley.

Participants for the 2-day workshop were selected from governing bodies, football associations, NPL NSW clubs and referee branches.

Beazley noted the importance of female equality in leadership positions, “much work still lies ahead to ensure they feel equal, valued and truly at home in their clubs as leaders and change-makers.”

The entire 5-week program is funded by the NSW Football Legacy Fund and the NSW Government. Commitment to a 2025 renewal of the program shows institutional support to achieve women in leadership positions around football.

The program highlights an effort to increase women’s leadership and presence in football. The growing momentum of this program will continue and foster a positive culture for football.

Hisense Announced as First Partner for FIFA Club World Cup

FIFA has unveiled Hisense as their first partner of the new FIFA Club World Cup, which will kick off for the first time in 2025.

Hisense, a global leader in consumer electronics, will have its TV’s displayed throughout the tournament, in addition to company branding on stadium screens and in the video operation room.

Announced at a ceremony at the Shanghai Tower in China, Hisense’s partnership with FIFA will promote the company’s image and latest products on a global scale.

Hisense Group Chairman Jia Shaoqian spoke keenly about the deal at the event.

“We are proud to be an Official Partner of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, which is a competition among the top clubs from all six confederations, representing a dialogue between champions, a collision of first-class excellence. This perfectly aligns with Hisense’s pursuit of the champion spirit and our latest corporate goal to build a world-class enterprise and brand,” he said.

“As the pioneer in AI televisions, Hisense’s newly launched AI TV series is a perfect match for the FIFA Club World Cup. The technological foundation of Hisense AI TV is the independently developed Xinghai large model, which supports continuous smart upgrades across various appliance categories, significantly enhancing the user experience and market competitiveness. Together with FIFA, Hisense will present the best Club World Cup for global audiences.”

This latest partnership between FIFA and Hisense is not the first between the two, with both parties first collaborating in 2017 to sponsor the FIFA World Cup.

Also speaking at the launch ceremony, FIFA President Gianni Infantino embraced the partnership.

“We are delighted to welcome Hisense, a global market-leading brand, as an Official Partner of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. Hisense’s commitment to innovation and technology aligns with our vision for this tournament, which will bring together the 32 best teams from around the world for an unforgettable celebration of our game that will revolutionise club football,” he said.

“This partnership will offer fans unique ways to engage with the tournament, both on and off the pitch, while laying a technological and innovation-led foundation for the FIFA Club World Cup to flourish.”

The FIFA Club World Cup will begin in the United States on June 15th 2025, and run until July 13th 2025.

 

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