Australian football hits the broadcast market: Where will the rights land?

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Crunch time is fast approaching for Football Australia and the APL, with new broadcast deals set to be struck independently in the coming weeks.

Football Australia have regained the broadcast rights to all Socceroos and Matildas internationals, Asian Cup qualifiers and World Cup qualifiers according to the SMH, and are now looking to on-sell to broadcasters.

“There are a lot of national team games because of the backlog of the calendar in the lead-up to Qatar 2022 and Australia and New Zealand 2023. We will go to market with even more national team games than what we have had in the past and I think that is a very attractive market in this competitive environment that we have in broadcast today,” FFA CEO James Johnson told SMH.

The APL are also in the process of negotiating a new TV deal for the A-League and W-League which will look to secure the future of the professional game in Australia.

Whilst there will likely be a free-to-air component for each deal, here are the companies that may stump up the majority of the cash:

Stan Sport

Stan Sport are a relative newcomer to the sport media rights landscape in Australia. They recently secured the rights to showcase Super Rugby matches on their platform, with Rugby Australia also signing a free-to-air deal with Channel Nine, who are owners of the streaming service.

A similar type of deal may be attractive to the APL or Football Australia, as Channel Nine also owns major newspapers across the country such as The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

A positive media narrative is something the game is crying out for after years of negativity, and a partnership with Stan and Channel Nine should guarantee an increase in media visibility for Australian Football across a range of channels.

Stan is interested, with a need to add to their low portfolio of sport at the moment, as they look to continue to build up their Stan Sport add-on service.

Fox Sports/Kayo

Fox Sports have had the broadcast rights for the A-League since the competition’s inception and shown some of the Socceroos’ and Matildas’ biggest moments over the past 15 years.

Their current on-air talent includes the likes of Mark Bosnich, Archie Thompson, Robbie Slater and Robbie Cornthwaite.

Fox also has the Australian rights to the Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga, English Championship and more across their platforms.

Over the past few years Fox have been disappointed with the linear TV ratings of the A-League and have axed magazine shows,  as well as holding back on overall production values for their broadcasts.

Despite this, the company is still interested in brokering a new deal, but there are question marks around their coverage.

Constant technical issues have plagued the broadcast of W-League games this season on Fox and they continue to focus the majority of their energy and investment around NRL, AFL and Cricket.

Optus Sport

As of February 2021, Optus Sport had 868,000 subscribers to their service.

The streaming platform currently have the Australian rights to the English Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, FA Women’s Super League, J League, Euro 2021, Copa America 2021, J League and more.

Current on-air talent includes the likes of John Aloisi, Michael Bridges, Mark Schwarzer and Kevin Muscat.

The company have produced a range of different programs that go along with their high-quality production of pre-and post-game shows for the UEFA Champions League and English Premier League. This includes the Football Belongs podcast and Women’s Football Oz Style.

Optus Sport are well within its rights to say they are the home of football in Australia; however, the addition of A-League/W-League and Socceroos/Matildas content rights will leave no doubt.

Sports Flick

The Sydney based start-up streaming service have a range of unique content on their platform including the rights to the UEFA Women’s Champions League and the K-League. They have reportedly done a deal that has seen them grab the UEFA Champions League rights off Optus Sport from next season.

Will they look to Australian football properties for more content?

Others: DAZN, Amazon

Let us know where you want to see the rights end up, join the conversation on Twitter @Soccersceneau.

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Nike and FA reveal Socceroos kit ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup

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Image credit: Football Australia

As the lastest collaboration between Football Australia and Nike, the 2026 National Team collection is testament to a partnership spanning over two decades.

 

New threads, old partners

Built on the balanced principles of heritage, culture and progression, Nike have designed two kits which reflect the very DNA within Australia’s men’s national team.

“The CommBank Socceroos are set to perform on the world stage with a clear intent to compete and succeed against the world’s best, and this new kit reflects that ambition,” said Football Australia CEO, Martin Kugeler, via official press release.

“Socceroo kits become part of Australian football history, forever tied to defining moments and performances and we look forward to seeing the Socceroos represent the country with pride in this jersey on the global stage.”

Honouring the twenty-year partnership with Nike, this year’s kit draws inspiration from the iconic 2006 jersey. The hope, therefore, is that performances on the pitch will mirror this sense of pride, passion and ambition.

Innovation on the biggest stage

Furthermore, football kits represent innovation and ambition. Materials, fit and finer details must all come together in a perfect combination to allow for optimal performance.

The Socceroos collection features Nike’s Aero-FIT performance cooling technology, thus increasing airflow and ensuring players stay cool while playing in high temperatures.

But beyond the inner workings and technology of the kits, a sense of authenticity and intention continue to shine through.

“I really love the new home kit, it has a great traditional feel with the colours and the style and it feels unmistakably Australian,” outlined Nike athlete and Socceroos star, Jordan Bos.

Although kits appear as little more than a squad number and a badge, the international stage demands a jersey which represents something far greater. The World Cup is about national pride, passion and ambition, and Australia’s 2026 kit collection unites all of them.

Coles MiniRoos Program Opens Football Pathway for Children aged 4 to 11 across Australia

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Football Australia’s Coles MiniRoos program is welcoming new participants across the country, offering children aged 4 to 11 a structured and inclusive introduction to football through local clubs and schools.

Now one of Australia’s largest grassroots sporting initiatives, MiniRoos operates across two streams designed to meet children at different stages of their footballing journey. Coles MiniRoos Kick-Off, available to children aged 4 to 11, provides a non-competitive, skills-based entry point for those new to the game, using short game-based sessions of 45 to 60 minutes to build confidence and basic technique. Coles MiniRoos Club Team, open to children aged 5 to 11, moves into small-sided club football- formats of 4v4, 7v7 and 9v9- designed to maximise touches, involvement and opportunity for developing players.

Both programs run for between four and twelve weeks and are delivered by local clubs and schools, keeping participation embedded in the communities where children already live and learn.

The program’s structure reflects a broader shift in how junior sport is being designed. Small-sided formats give younger players more contact with the ball and more meaningful involvement in each session, addressing one of the most common reasons children disengage from team sport early: the experience of spending more time watching than playing.

The timing carries particular significance. With the AFC Women’s Asian Cup currently underway and women’s football participation in Australia at record levels, the pipeline that will sustain that growth over the next decade is being built now, in programs like this one, in communities across the country.

Coles MiniRoos is approved by Football Australia and open to children of all abilities. Registrations are open now through local clubs and schools.

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