Has football become too expensive to stream in Australia?

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As the European Championships come to an end this Monday morning (AEST), with the English playing the Italians, club football from around the world will soon be back on the agenda for football fans across Australia.

This forthcoming season, however, Australian audiences will find their favourite football content in different locations.

New streaming services have entered the market and existing ones have stepped up their appetite for football broadcasting rights, giving the consumer more choices, but potentially a bigger hit to their wallets.

For example, whilst the EPL will remain on Optus Sport for next season at $14.99 a month, the telco has lost the rights to show the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and other UEFA associated club tournaments to relatively new streaming service Stan Sport.

Stan acting CEO, Martin Kugeler, said at the announcement of the three-year-deal: “Since Stan Sport launched in February, we have been delighted with the way Australians have taken up the service.

“The addition of the UEFA Club Competitions, including the UEFA Champions League, represents a unique strategic opportunity that will continue the momentum for Stan Sport and aligns directly with the Nine group sports strategy.

“Featuring the most outstanding players in the sport, the UEFA Club Competitions bring together the best clubs for more than 400 matches of world-class football.

“We can’t wait to showcase the most prestigious club football tournaments in the world and we thank UEFA for its trust in Stan to deliver their iconic football products to Australia.”

Stan Sport costs customers a minimum of $20 a month, meaning Australian football fans must now pay $35 a month to watch the Champions League and EPL across the two services, a jump of $20 a month on previous rates.

Alongside this, the A-League, W-League, FFA Cup, Socceroos and Matildas matches will not be shown on Foxtel’s Kayo Sports service, with those rights migrating to Network 10 and Paramount + in August, a brand-new streaming platform which will cost fans $8.99 a month.

Beverley McGarvey, Chief Content Officer and Executive Vice President at ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand, said at the time of the agreement with FA: “Today marks a new era for Australian football. This landmark agreement gives all Australians access to more football than ever before.

“We are thrilled to partner with Football Australia and are proud to provide National Teams football and the FFA Cup unprecedented reach and exposure across our many platforms including on Network 10 and our new streaming service Paramount+.

“We will be showcasing all Socceroos, Westfield Matildas and FFA Cup matches, which not only complements our recently announced rights deal to broadcast every A-League and Westfield W-League match but reinforces our commitment to football in this country.”

Kayo Sports still has the rights to a suite of BEIN Sports content which includes the Serie A, Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Scottish Championship, for which they charge $25 a month (although you can subscribe to BEIN directly for $20 a month).

Throw in Sports Flick for $14.99 a month, which showcases some of our local stars in leagues such as the K-League and Chinese Super League, being a football fan in Australia is becoming more and more of an expensive proposition.

The fragmentation of the football rights in Australia means if you want to subscribe to watch all of the football content on these streaming services, it will cost you a minimum of around $80 a month.

Of course, there are bundled deals with broadband connections which may cheapen the price of some these services, but that depends on an individual’s setup.

With millions of Australians also already signing up to entertainment services such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon, many will find it hard to justify the price of all of these platforms for the world game – as limits will be reached.

Therefore, certain leagues and football content are likely to be prioritised by certain consumers, which may leave some services behind in the competitive marketplace.

Hypothetically, Paramount + could be a first-choice priority for many football fans, as it is cheaper than the other services, offers more than just sport on their platform and is the only place to watch all of the A-League, W-League and national teams.

But other fans can’t go without the EPL on a weekly basis, so Optus Sport will be their default service.

What do you think? Has football, overall, become too expensive to watch in Australia?

Get in touch with us via our social channels and let us know which services you will be keeping, signing up for, or dropping in the coming weeks.

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Stop Complaining, Start Building: Why Proactive Clubs Always Win

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Image Credit: Connelly Project Resources

It’s a tale as old as time in grassroots sport: your club is stuck in a “time warp” facility, sharing a severely overused pitch with another code, while a club a few suburbs over just scored millions of dollars in council funding.

It is incredibly frustrating. The disparity in local government funding, the draconian facility-sharing arrangements, and the feeling that your sport is constantly fighting an uphill battle in certain heartlands can make committee members want to throw their hands in the air.

But when faced with this reality, your club has a choice. You can go on a rampage of advocacy – bitching, moaning, and focusing on everything the council or state sporting body isn’t doing – or, you can focus on what you can control.

The Post-COVID Divide

Think back to the clubs that emerged from the COVID-19 lockdowns. During that time, every club faced the exact same external restriction: nobody could play.

However, two distinct types of clubs emerged.

The first type went dark. They complained about the government, complained about the lack of support from their Peak Bodies, and disconnected from their members. They took years to recover.

The second type of club stayed connected. They acknowledged the reality but focused entirely on what they could do. They posted backyard drills on TikTok, sent training plans to parents, and kept their community engaged. As soon as restrictions lifted, they were on the front foot, miles ahead of the competition. Same environment, entirely different mindset.

The Circle of Control

In business and in sport, there is a circle of concern (things you care about but can’t change) and a much smaller circle of control (your own thoughts, behaviours, and operations).

If you have signed a 10-year lease on a substandard facility, that is your playing field. You aren’t going to change it tomorrow. So, how can you win given the rules you have?

·  Run a tight ship financially.

·  Pay your rent on time.

·  Communicate brilliantly with your members.

·  Streamline your governance.

Government likes to back a winner. If you spend your time spinning up the flywheels of good marketing, membership growth, and volunteer connection, you build a small business that clearly has its act together. When it comes time to advocate for better facilities, you aren’t just a complaining club—you are a highly successful, proactive community asset that councils will want to support.

Is your club stuck in a cycle of complaining? It’s time to take control of what you can. Contact CPR Group today to find out how our clubMENTOR program and strategic planning services can put your club on the front foot.

Socceroos Make Powerful $15K Play to Back Organ Donation Awareness

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Image Credit: Professional Footballers Australia

The Socceroos have reinforced football’s power beyond the pitch with a $15,000 donation to Transplant Australia Football Club (TAFC). The funding will support its 2026 Transplant World Cup campaign while raising awareness for organ and tissue donation.

The contribution, delivered through Professional Footballers Australia’s (PFA) Community Impact Fund, will assist TAFC’s preparations for the upcoming Transplant Football World Cup in Frankfurt. It is also amplifying the organisation’s broader mission to promote the life-saving impact of organ donation.

Presented during a national team training session, the donation reflects a growing commitment from Australia’s elite players to use their platform for meaningful social impact. Creating a connection between the game and causes that resonate far beyond football.

The initiative builds on an ongoing relationship between the Socceroos and TAFC, following a previous player-led contribution in 2024 that supported the team’s participation in the inaugural tournament in Italy.

More than just financial support, the partnership signals a longer-term collaboration aimed at increasing visibility for organ and tissue donation, leveraging the reach of both the national team and the PFA to drive awareness nationwide.

TAFC provides a unique pathway for transplant recipients, donors, and their families to re-engage with sport—offering not only competitive opportunities but a powerful platform to share stories of resilience, recovery, and second chances.

With the 2026 Transplant Football World Cup on the horizon, the Socceroos’ support will play a crucial role in enabling Australia’s team to compete on the global stage, while championing a message that extends far beyond results: the life-changing impact of donation.

As football continues to grow as both a cultural and social force, initiatives like this highlight the game’s unique ability to unite communities, elevate important causes, and create lasting impact where it matters most.

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