Major pay-TV sports operator, Optus, is reportedly set to form a sub-licensing alliance with free-to-air commercial sports giant, Nine Entertainment. This partnership will allow the upcoming English Premier League (EPL) soccer season to be broadcasted through this collaboration.
According to reports from the Australian Financial Review, owned by Nine Entertainment, Premier League games may be available on the Nine-owned Stan Sport streaming service starting from the new season. The new season kicks off on August 15 and will run through May 24, 2026.
Nine Entertainment is expected to cover A$60 million (US$39.2 million) of the A$100 million that Optus pays annually for the Premier League rights. The remaining $40 million will be covered by Optus.
History of EPL rights in Australia
Optus has held exclusive rights for broadcasting Premier League matches in Australia since 2016 when it replaced Fox Sports in a significant deal worth A$63 million starting with the 2016-17 campaign. The current agreement covers three years of Optus’ existing six-season broadcast contract for the Premier League which runs through till the end of 2027-28 campaign.
In recent months, Singtel - owner of broadcaster Optus - has been considering divesting from its broadcast commitments. In January there were rumors that Nine Entertainment was in talks to acquire Optus Sport service itself.
Optus' portfolio primarily consists of soccer rights including Japan’s J-League, South Korea’s K-League and North America’s National Women’s Soccer League among others. However, its core offering remains its English Premier League coverage and without exclusivity; it is possible that Singtel might divest entirely from TV sports broadcasting. Stan Sports’ rights portfolio is more diversified, including rugby union’s English Premiership, southern hemisphere Rugby Championship, and SVNS, tennis’ Davis Cup and motor racing’s Formula E among other properties.
Future of Optus Sport
There is speculation that Optus might consider closing down Optus Sport which has been operational since 2016. This move would effectively subsidize Nine's coverage. In response to these suggestions an Optus spokesperson stated: "All companies regularly review their businesses to ensure they are maximizing value and realizing their full potential – Optus is no different. We don’t comment on speculation.”
The recent relegation of Leicester City (Harry Souttar) and Ipswich Town (Cameron Burgess, Massimo Luongo), as well as the sacking of Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has left no prominent Australian figure in the Premier League.
This new broadcasting deal marks a significant shift in sports broadcasting rights in Australia with implications for both sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts alike.
