Western Sydney Wanderers and Adidas ink significant three-year deal

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Western Sydney Wanderers and Adidas
Image credit: Western Sydney Wanderers

Western Sydney Wanderers FC announced that they have signed a three-year partnership with global apparel and football giants Adidas.

This collaboration will feature the iconic three stripes across the club’s Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s, Liberty A-League Women’s, Powerchair, Wanderers Academy and Community Programs until the end of 2026/27 – a key investment into all WSW teams.

Founded close to 100 years ago, Adidas are one of the world’s most recognisable sports apparel brands and became a household name in 1954 after designing the world’s very first pair of football boots.

The kits for the upcoming season have been designed in partnership with Ultra Football, Australia’s largest multi-branded football store with locations in Sydney and Melbourne.

Western Sydney Wanderers CEO Scott Hudson expressed his delight in beginning their impactful partnership with Adidas.

“Adidas are a world-renowned brand, and we are also excited to work closely with Matt and his team from Ultra Football as we move into a new era of football culture and merchandising,” he said via press release.

Ultra Football General Manager Matt Adams explained the congruency in the partnership and how it would help both parties succeed.

“Western Sydney Wanderers shares similar values to Ultra Football, building its brand by football fans, for football fans,” Adams shared as per media release.

“Ultra Football takes great pride in connecting adidas, one of the globes greatest sporting brands, and Western Sydney Wanderers together.

“Our teams are very excited to launch an exciting adidas range of products, to the Wanderers fan base.”

This move makes the Wanderers the only club with an Adidas partnership in 2023/24 and has proved very popular with the Wanderers fanbase online with the announcement videos posted attracting a lot of attention.

Adidas’ football sector in particular is huge, highlighted by the partnerships with elite clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich. They also have 33 million followers on Instagram and specialise in creating football boots that are recognisable by every footballer including Predator, Ace, X and Copa.

This partnership is a huge step in the right direction for the Wanderers to become a bigger club in Australia and also focus on improving the quality of their apparel in a bid to sell more merchandise.

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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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