Premier League Returns to Free-to-Air with Channel Nine

Avatar
Image Credit: Christian Bertrand / Shutterstock.com

Football fans will soon be able to watch the Premier League on free-to-air television again, with Channel Nine set to launch primetime coverage of the competition.

For the first time since SBS aired matches in 2019, the Premier League will be back on Australian FTA screens, starting with Aston Villa v Newcastle United on Saturday, 16 August, at 9:30pm.

As confirmed by Daany Saeed on X, Nine will air one game from the first three weeks on FTA, all on Saturday nights, per Capital Brief.

There is no confirmation of any more games being shown on free-to-air outside of the first three gameweeks.

The move comes after Nine secured the Australian broadcast rights to the Premier League and FA Cup from Optus Sport in a deal announced on 30 June.

All matches will be streamed on Nine’s subscription platform Stan Sport, which will exclusively carry every game of the 2025–26 season, with some fixtures available in 4K ultra-high definition, a first for Premier League coverage in Australia.

Nine plans to air select matches in primetime on its free-to-air channel as part of a push to promote Stan Sport’s coverage. The agreement also includes rights to the UEFA Women’s Euro, Japan’s J.League and the United States’ National Women’s Soccer League.

Nine chief executive Matt Stanton spoke about the huge difference this will make for Australians watching football.

“This marks a step change in Nine’s digital growth strategy,” he said via press release.

“The Premier League is the most watched football league on the planet, and alongside the Emirates FA Cup, this acquisition reinforces Nine’s position as the home of sport in Australia.

“We are proud to deliver these iconic competitions to Australian audiences through Stan Sport. The full power of Nine will be activated to bring new attention and energy to the Premier League and Emirates FA Cup.

“With more than 20 million Australians engaging with Nine’s platforms every month, we have an unrivalled ability to generate excitement at scale, drive audience growth and deliver meaningful commercial outcomes for our partners.”

For Australian football fans, this marks a long-awaited return of the Premier League to free-to-air TV, offering easier access to some of the world’s best football.

With Nine’s primetime coverage and Stan Sport’s full-season streaming, the game is set to reach more fans than ever before by also having the European competitions under the same subscription.

Previous ArticleNext Article

More than 220 coaches attend Football South Australia’s second NOVA Youth Club Championship workshop

Avatar
Image Credit: FQ

Football South Australia drew more than 220 coaches to its second NOVA Youth Club Championship Coaches Workshop in late May, underlining the scale of engagement clubs are generating through the state’s restructured youth competition framework.

The online session was facilitated by Football SA Technical Director Michael Cooper, who also serves as Junior Matildas Head Coach. Cooper shared observations from the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup and Australia’s qualification for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, giving club-level coaches a window into the demands and standards of elite international football.

The presenter line-up extended that international lens further. Lachlan Tosh and Cristiano Dos Santos spoke to their experiences in national tournament environments, while legendary Australian coach Tom Sermanni addressed the fundamentals of youth coaching. Colin Sanctuary from the University of Newcastle examined coaching language and its direct influence on player learning.

Themes running across the session included the primacy of long-term player development over short-term results, with presenters consistently emphasising technique, ball mastery, individual improvement, and decision-making under pressure. Coaches were encouraged to expose players to varied styles of play, facilitate practice outside organised training, and help young players retain possession longer in match conditions.

Post-session feedback pointed to strong practical value, with coaches singling out clear communication, relationship-building, and age-appropriate feedback as key takeaways.

The workshop series sits within the broader transition from the Youth Premier League to the Club Championship model, which ties coaching participation to championship points for clubs and CPD credits toward individual coaching diplomas. Six workshops are scheduled across the season, with four still to come.

Premier League backs grassroots football in Singapore

Avatar
Image credit: Premier League

The NEXTGEN coach programme saw past legends and current coaches unite to deliver an activity intent on supporting grassroots football through high quality and inclusive coaching.

 

Creating new leaders

To reach the top in elite football requires tactical education, personal guidance and consistent support throughout the development journey.

Coaches therefore take on a great deal of responsibility for players seeking a top-flight dream.

Yet even for those who never make it to the top, there is always one coach who stands out. Not necessarily for the silverware achieved or results on the pitch, but for the way they helped build a person off the pitch to play better on it.

The Premier League’s NEXTGEN Coach programme in Singapore aims to equip coaches with the skills and knowledge to do exactly that: creating welcoming environments which nurture confidence and a love for the game.

“This will hugely benefit local coaches, providing them with expert training and skills that will cascade into the communities they coach in,” said Premier League Director of Community, Nick Perchard, via media release.

“After opening the League’s first international office in Singapore more than seven years ago, we are now building on our commitment to the country with a structured coach development programme.”

 

What does the programme include?

The programme initially saw Premier League coaches deliver training sessions to coaches from StarHub – the League’s broadcast partner in Singapore who engage with local community football.

Furthermore, the training was consolidated through stakeholder engagement events and talks from 150 students at the Institute of Technical Education about their careers in the game.

In total, the programme saw 30 coaches take part – all from diverse backgrounds selected by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) to maximise community reach and positively impact as many young individuals as possible.

“Youth development is a key priority for FAS, and it starts at the grassroots level,” explained FAS General Secretary, Badri Ghent via media release.

“Coaches play a central role in shaping not just how young players learn the game, but how they experience it, building confidence, character and a lifelong connection to football.”

Through high quality programmes like NEXTGEN, grassroots football can grow to ensure future coaches and players are confident in themselves and their future roles in the game.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend