Sports Flick secures exclusive K-League rights deal

Avatar

Australian sports streaming service Sports Flick have secured an exclusive TV rights deal to broadcast South Korea’s K-League 1.

The multi-year agreement begins for the 2021 K-League season and was brokered with the official global media rights distribution partner for the K-League, Sportradar.

Sports Flick said that the deal supported its commitment to provide the Australian audience with more football.

“We are excited to be partnering with the K-League providing Australians with the opportunities to watch some of the best football in Asia,” Sports Flick General Manager Michael Turner said.

The 2021 K-League season kicks off on Saturday February 27 when Jeonbuk take on FC Seoul at 4PM AEDT. Four Australians are set to play in the league this season – Jason Davidson (Ulsan Hyundai), Terry Antonis (Suwon Samsung Bluewings), Alex Grant (Pohang Steelers), and Harrison Delbridge (Incheon United).

“Sportradar’s goal is to expand the global reach of the K-League, and we are therefore extremely excited to sign a long term partnership with Sports Flick to bring one of Asia’s best football leagues, with top Australian talent on display to screens across Australia,” Sportradar Senior Director Lutz Tigges said.

Sports Flick’s content focuses on growing and emerging sports – the OTT platform currently broadcasts the UEFA Women’s Champions League, the European Baseball Super League, alongside a number of cricket, boxing and other sporting events.

On Tuesday, K-League and Sportradar also announced the launch of OTT platform K-League TV. The service has been created for international markets and will be available for the 2021 season.

Sportradar said that viewers in Macau, Indonesia and the Philippines would be able to watch K-League through either K-League TV or their local broadcasters.

“The past year has seen a lot of changes in consumption of content, and we feel that the time is right to expand our fanbase by this platform that reaches out to a global audience,” K-League Secretary General Yeon Sang Cho said.

“We have players from all around the world playing, and it’s time that we have fans from around the world able to share in the joy and passion with is the K-League.”

Previous ArticleNext Article

Football NNSW Releases Infrastructure Strategies as Participation Growth Outpaces Facilities

Avatar
Image Credit: Shutterstock

Northern NSW Football has unveiled bespoke infrastructure strategies for each of its seven member zones, providing an evidence-based roadmap for facility investment across the region as continued participation growth exposes critical gaps in the sporting infrastructure available to support it.

The Member Zone Infrastructure Strategies draw on data across participation rates, population growth and existing facility conditions to map what each zone has, what it needs and where investment will have the greatest impact. Identified gaps include drainage, lighting and inclusive changerooms – the foundational infrastructure that determines whether facilities are functional, safe and accessible year-round.

NNSWF Government Relations Manager Gary Fisher said the strategies represented a significant step toward smarter, more targeted investment across the region.

“By bringing together key data on participation, population growth and existing infrastructure, these strategies give us a stronger understanding of where the needs are greatest and where investment will have the most impact,” Fisher said. “Ultimately we want to create more inclusive and accessible environments for everyone involved in the game while building stronger, more sustainable clubs and communities for the future.”

Northern NSW Football has previously noted that participation across the region is at record levels and still rising, with women’s and girls’ football a significant driver of that growth. Infrastructure that was built for a smaller and less diverse participation base is increasingly unable to meet current demand, let alone accommodate future growth.

The strategies are also designed to strengthen NNSWF’s alignment with government funding priorities, providing the evidence base needed to support grant applications and long-term facility planning across all seven zones.

Football Victoria launches inaugural Club State Championships amid World Cup fever

Avatar
Image Credit: One-Nil Media

Football Victoria (FV) has unveiled the inaugural Victorian Club State Championships, a new statewide tournament set to transform the winter football calendar and provide a major platform for emerging talent across the state.

Taking place from July 2–5 at The Home of The Matildas, the event will coincide with the FIFA World Cup 2026 period. This alignment a strategic move aimed at capitalising on heightened global football engagement.

The tournament will feature both boys’ and girls’ teams from U9 through to U17 age groups, bringing together clubs from Advanced and Community competitions in a bid to crown Victoria’s best-performing clubs across each division.

A statewide stage for club football

In what shapes as a major addition to the Victorian football landscape, the championships are designed to create a high-level tournament environment outside regular league competition. This offering players valuable exposure to knockout football, elevated match intensity and cross-league competition.

Football Victoria described the event as a celebration of the “strength, depth and talent” within the state’s football ecosystem, while also positioning it as a unique opportunity for clubs to test themselves against opponents they would not typically face throughout the season.

The decision to host the competition at The Home of The Matildas further reinforces FV’s intention to elevate the stature of the event, utilising one of Australia’s premier football facilities as the centrepiece of the tournament.

Creating a World Cup atmosphere in Victoria

FV believes the timing of the championships, running during the FIFA World Cup, will help generate a carnival-like atmosphere around the game at grassroots and pathway level.

Each participating team will play a minimum of four matches, with assistant referees appointed from U12 onwards. Disciplinary outcomes will also carry into regular season records, adding further competitive weight to the tournament structure.

Importantly, academy-only and social teams will not be eligible, reinforcing the event’s focus on recognised club pathways and structured competition.

A new piece in Football Victoria’s long-term strategy

The launch of the Victorian Club State Championships comes as Football Victoria continues to reshape and modernise its competition structures across both elite and community football, with the governing body placing greater emphasis on player development, competitive alignment and statewide engagement initiatives.

For clubs, the tournament presents not only the opportunity to compete for silverware, but also a rare chance to benchmark themselves against the broader Victorian football landscape during one of the sport’s biggest global moments.

With registrations now open, the Victorian Club State Championships could quickly become one of the most anticipated additions to the state football calendar.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend