The A-League football competition is set to move to a new broadcast home with details of a new deal imminent.
Respected football journalist Ray Gatt has used social media to report the A-League will move to a new broadcast home for its 2021-22 season on streaming platform Paramount+ and the 10 Network.
UPDATE 4pm – Channel 10 and the APL has now confirmed details of the deal.
The five-year, ground-breaking agreement which commences next season, will change the landscape of sports broadcasting in this country, giving Australian football the greatest reach it has ever had.
Every Saturday night during the season is Football Night on 10, with the A-League’s match of the round broadcast live at 7:30pm.
10 Bold will be the new home of the Westfield W-League, with a match broadcast live every Sunday of the league. All free-to-air matches will also be simulcast on 10 Play.
And, in a football first, A-League and Westfield W-League games will be available on Paramount+ which launches on Wednesday, 11 August for $8.99, with football fans and Club members given a special deal to access all games.
Beverley McGarvey, Chief Content Officer and Executive Vice President, ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand, said:
“We are thrilled to partner with the Australian Professional Leagues to become the new home of football for both the A-League and Westfield W-League, giving all Australians access to more football than ever before.
“As part of this landmark media rights partnership, all the action, excitement and fierce competition of the A-League and Westfield W-League will be broadcast on Network 10 and Paramount+.
“Ensuring broad reach on free-to-air, as well as extensive access on Paramount+, we are committed to showcasing the sport in innovative ways and exposing it to a plethora of programming opportunities across all our platforms, including those of our parent company ViacomCBS.”
Jarrod Villani, Chief Operating and Commercial Officer and Executive Vice President, ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand said:
“The distinct alignment between our audiences further cements our strategy and commitment to broadcasting the sport. In addition to exhibiting the most diverse and youngest fanbase in Australia, football also boasts the highest male and female participation rate for a sport in Australia, and it’s still growing.
“And, we are proud to be making the Westfield W-League available to all Australians for the first time on commercial free-to-air television.
“We are looking forward to working with the Australian Professional Leagues and establishing one of the best sporting partnerships in the world.”
The investment by ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand, further cements APL’s plan to unite, entertain and grow the football audience in Australia. It marks the first significant commercial announcement for APL since its member clubs began taking control of the A-League, W-League, Y-League and e-League on 31 December last year.
The new deal marks the end of a 16-year partnership between the A-League and Foxtel.
In a statement supplied to TV Blackbox, Foxtel Group CEO Patrick Delany, said:
“We have enjoyed a 16-year relationship with Australian football, starting as the inaugural broadcast partner for the A-League in August 2005 supporting the game through its highs with international marquee players in 2013 and its more recent challenges completing the 2020 COVID-interrupted season.
“While we would have preferred to retain the A-League and W-League, we chose early on in the process to maintain our cost and valuation discipline in relation to these rights.
“As the Australian Professional Leagues look toward a new future, we thank them for their partnership. We have been incredibly pleased to bring the A-League and the W-League to the many fans of football in Australia. We wish the APL well and for football fans, we remain the go-to destination those who love the best in European football league action including Italy’s Serie A, Germany’s Bundesliga and Spain’s La Liga.”
APL Chairman, Paul Lederer, said
“Less than six months ago we pledged to create value for the whole ecosystem of Australian football, and this deal is the first step in our delivering on that promise.
“This agreement with one of the world’s biggest content providers, is exactly the kind of significant and vital milestone we have always believed was possible – and that we intend to continue achieving.”
One of the key tenets of the deal is the ability to deliver and promote top-level football to every household in Australia, as APL moves quickly to realise its planned growth, predicated on its newly secured independence.
APL Managing Director, Danny Townsend, said:
“Fundamental to our strategy is a determination to ensure that we connect and engage with every Australian. This agreement starts that process by giving the game unprecedented reach and the backing of an absolutely iconic and globally renowned broadcaster.
“Football is played all over Australia, and the creative power that this partnership will deliver can unlock what we believe is an audience the game has never managed to reach before.”
Jarrod Villani added:
“This landmark rights deal will extend the A-League and Westfield W-League to be visible across the network, across platforms and across the full year. It provides a fantastic opportunity to engage new and growing audiences to the game, the players and to the sport of football, which can only deliver positive promotional benefits for the sport.”
The next season of the A-League and Westfield W-League will be broadcast on Network 10 and Paramount+. Further details about the broadcast and commentary team will be announced soon.
Paramount+ is the new global streaming platform owned by Channel 10’s parent company ViacomCBS. The service has already launched in the US and is scheduled to arrive in Australia on Wednesday, 11 August 2021.
Priced at $8.99 per month, Paramount+ subscribers will have access to more than 20,000 television episodes and blockbuster movies in addition to the A-League throughout the year.
Applaud to Network 10 who struck a great deal today with the soccer. We will wait and see if they can get the UEFA rights just like sister company CBS in the USA (except European International Championships). Plus the Socceroos/Matildas and future World Cups.
congrats, need more sponsors but aaus media prob bag the game…imagine if aleague had 400mill a yr like gayfl what they could do.gayfl is stale..same shite every yr…aleague needs some oomp, more leagues like champs/serie a for para and subs will come..foxtel is jus a dogga platform like ch7 most pathetic sports out..cricket $65 p/m and cant beat netflix so join em haha zzzz, 40 a yr is bit lame..thats 3 mill each team?? heck u payin players 50k a yr?? amazon should pay aleague another 10 mill yr to show friday games and get socceroos matildas games..wake up tomor to see media malaks show 5 sec coverage of this deal..less boring vaccine rubbish more of china and russia plz
Thank you channel 10 for bringing Alegue and wleague to our screen. It’s about time Australians support local soccer. My family and I are from Perth WA and off course big supporters of Perth Glory. GO GLORY.
This all sounds grea!, my worry is..how many adverts will there be during a game inc.interuptions during free kicks and or throw ins. I’ll never forget when another free to air channel showed adverts when the ball crossed the sideline for a throw in during a world cup qualifier. Time will tell???