Football Australia, the governing body of soccer in the country, has announced an extension of its exclusive domestic broadcast partnership with Paramount's Australian arm. The extended agreement will see Paramount continue as the exclusive broadcaster of Australian national team fixtures through 2028.
The renewed partnership was brokered by global agency IMG and utilizes soccer rights that Football Australia has retained in a renewed tie-up with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). This deal first agreed upon in 2021 allows Football Australia to continue as the official rightsholder of all major AFC national team competitions in the country.
Paramount will deliver these rights through its commercial channel Network 10, its free over-the-top (OTT) service 10 Play, and paid OTT offering Paramount+.
Key competitions covered under the deal
The renewed partnership includes broadcasting rights for several key competitions, Pan-continental Asian Cup’s 2027 edition qualifiers, FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers, AFC U23 Asian Cups in 2026 and 2028, and AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 (to be hosted in Australia).
In addition to these tournaments, Football Australia also secured entire broadcasting rights to the FIFA Women’s World Cup set for 2027. All these events will be shown on various Paramount outlets.
James Johnson, the chief executive of Football Australia, said:
“This landmark agreement with Paramount Australia is a pivotal moment for Australian football. It brings unprecedented exposure to our national teams and provides fans with unparalleled access to the Matildas and Socceroos. Reacquiring the AFC national team rights and securing the broadcast rights to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027 are strategic moves designed to maximize control over our content, enhance fan accessibility, and unlock new revenue streams.
"These rights are integral to our strategy to secure a transformative broadcast deal that we anticipate will set new benchmarks in the valuation of football media rights in Australia. Bringing as much national team content as possible to a multi-platform partner was a key objective from a fan's perspective, and we are thrilled to achieve this.”
Coverage of National Teams' matches
Under this agreement, coverage of matches played by both men's team (the Socceroos) and women's team (the Matildas) up until LA28 Olympic Games is included. However, it excludes FIFA World Cup matches proper scheduled for 2026.
James Johnson, Chief Executive Officer at Football Australia expressed his views on how this agreement impacts soccer development within the country. He highlighted that since becoming an AFC member in 2006, the men's national team has qualified for the quadrennial FIFA World Cup showpiece edition every year. This achievement includes five straight World Cup qualifications and two round-of-16 appearances, which he attributes to the development of soccer in Australia.
The extended partnership between Football Australia and Paramount is a significant step towards promoting soccer in Australia. It ensures that fans have access to major national and international competitions through various platforms. The deal also reflects Football Australia's commitment to developing the sport within the country by securing rights to key competitions.
