The A-League clubs will launch a new free-to-air panel show as part of Channel 10's Saturday night coverage, with W-League free-to-air coverage relegated to secondary channel 10 Bold.
The Sydney Morning Herald has confirmed that the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) has signed a five-year, $200 million deal with Channel 10 and Paramount+ to broadcast the A-League and W-League.
Socceroos, Matildas, World Cup matches and the Asian Champions League are all still up for grabs, and will be sold separately by FA, the AFC and FIFA.
Under the deal, one A-League game will be shown live every Saturday night on Channel 10 and one W-League game will be shown live every Sunday on 10 Bold.
All other matches will be shown live on Paramount+, which will cost $9 per month to subscribe, significantly cheaper than Fox Sports broadcaster Kayo. Paramount+ also has several other broadcast deals, although no other Australian sport has been confirmed.
The A-League Saturday night fixture will be preceded by a new panel-style discussion show. The APL itself will also share broadcast production, which may guarantee a higher quality of football knowledge and relevance than previous free-to-air football coverage.
“Fundamental to our strategy is a determination to ensure that we connect and engage with every Australian,” APL managing director Danny Townsend told SMH.
“This agreement starts that process by giving the game unprecedented reach and the backing of an absolutely iconic and globally renowned broadcaster.
"Football is played all over Australia, and the creative power that this partnership will deliver can unlock what we believe is an audience the game has never managed to reach before.”
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