Australian sports streaming service Sports Flick have secured an exclusive TV rights deal to broadcast South Korea’s K-League 1.
The multi-year agreement begins for the 2021 K-League season and was brokered with the official global media rights distribution partner for the K-League, Sportradar.
Sports Flick said that the deal supported its commitment to provide the Australian audience with more football.
“We are excited to be partnering with the K-League providing Australians with the opportunities to watch some of the best football in Asia,” Sports Flick General Manager Michael Turner said.
The 2021 K-League season kicks off on Saturday February 27 when Jeonbuk take on FC Seoul at 4PM AEDT. Four Australians are set to play in the league this season – Jason Davidson (Ulsan Hyundai), Terry Antonis (Suwon Samsung Bluewings), Alex Grant (Pohang Steelers), and Harrison Delbridge (Incheon United).
“Sportradar’s goal is to expand the global reach of the K-League, and we are therefore extremely excited to sign a long term partnership with Sports Flick to bring one of Asia’s best football leagues, with top Australian talent on display to screens across Australia,” Sportradar Senior Director Lutz Tigges said.
Sports Flick’s content focuses on growing and emerging sports – the OTT platform currently broadcasts the UEFA Women’s Champions League, the European Baseball Super League, alongside a number of cricket, boxing and other sporting events.
On Tuesday, K-League and Sportradar also announced the launch of OTT platform K-League TV. The service has been created for international markets and will be available for the 2021 season.
Sportradar said that viewers in Macau, Indonesia and the Philippines would be able to watch K-League through either K-League TV or their local broadcasters.
“The past year has seen a lot of changes in consumption of content, and we feel that the time is right to expand our fanbase by this platform that reaches out to a global audience,” K-League Secretary General Yeon Sang Cho said.
“We have players from all around the world playing, and it’s time that we have fans from around the world able to share in the joy and passion with is the K-League.”