A-league signs $200m, 5 year deal with Ten/Paramount (+ Sky NZ deal)

The A-league has announced that it has signed a $200 million, 5 year deal with the CBS Viacom for A-league and W-league matches on Ten and Paramount+. The deal does not include the FFA Cup or Socceroos and Matildas matches, as these are sold separately by the FFA.

• The A-League and W-League has signed a five-year contract with Ten and its streaming subsidiary Paramount+ worth $200 million in cash and commercial contra, according to sources, and contains triggers for a further three-year extension. In the first year, it contains $32 million in cash – with Football Australia receiving a 20 per cent share, as per the APL’s independence terms brokered last year – and a further $11 million in contra, which will be gradually reduced over the term of the contract.
• A-League live and free every Saturday night on 10 and 10 Play on demand. 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. The deal guarantees one A-League match each week, on Saturday nights, will be broadcast live on Ten’s main channel for the duration of the agreement, preceded by a magazine-style discussion show – ensuring a level of free-to-air coverage hitherto only dreamed of in the league’s 16-year history.
• Westfield W-League live and free every Sunday afternoon on 10 Bold and 10 Play on demand. 10 Bold will be the new home of the Westfield W-League, with a match broadcast live every Sunday of the league.
• All A-league and W-league free-to-air matches will also be simulcast on 10 Play.
• All other A-League and Westfield W-League matches will be shown on the brand new Paramount+. Paramount+ launches on Wednesday, 11 August for $8.99, with football fans and Club members given a special deal to access all games.
• As part of the five-year tie-up between the Australian Professional Leagues and US giant VIACOM CBS, the latter has acquired a minor 2.5% stake in the former – becoming a shareholder as well as a partner.
• The APL has also agreed to share responsibility for broadcast production, a move rarely undertaken by major sporting competitions in Australia. This ensures a minimum standard of production will be upheld across both the A-League and W-League and the ability to scale the number of cameras used at matches up or down based on the importance of certain fixtures.
• APL will from next season produce its own “product” – that’s the A-League and Westfield W-League games, plus myriad features and news around them – and package it appropriately, in readiness for distribution via the commercial stature of the Ten Network and on Australia’s newest streaming channel. Before the start of the new season, some of that content will also be central to a new digital platform that APL promises will become the Australian home of football content.

New Zealand

Every A-league game (mens and womens) will be shown live on Sky’s multiple broadcast and streaming platforms while selected games will be available live free to air on Prime, including the Phoenix’s double header against Western Sydney Wanderers on December 3. Sky said it would use a New Zealand-based commentary team for Phoenix home games and other key matches. Sky say their deal does not include the FFA Cup.

References

• 26.05 – ViacomCBS And Australian Professional Leagues Announce Landmark Rights Deal (A-league)
• 26.05 – Why new broadcast deal smells like Ten spirit (A-league)
• 26.05 – Network 10 And Paramount+ Will Be The New Home Of A-League and Westfield W-League (Ten)
• 26.05 – A-League seals landmark five-year, $200m broadcast deal with Network Ten (The Age)
• 26.05 – Network Ten and Paramount+ sign A-League broadcast deal (Mumbrella)
• 26.05 – A-League announces Channel 10 as new broadcast partner in five-year deal (ABC)
• 15.11 – Sky retains rights for A-Leagues football and adds new free to air component (stuff.co.nz)