Austria's public service broadcaster, ORF, has secured a new domestic media rights deal with the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB). The agreement will see the continuation of ÖFB Cup broadcasts on ORF platforms and an expansion to include select Women’s Bundesliga and national team matches.
The deal, which runs until 2030, allows ORF to air all matches from the men’s ÖFB Cup across its channels and platforms. This includes free-to-air television, radio, and online broadcasts. Fans can expect at least 15 games per season to be broadcast live on its linear channel. In addition to this extensive coverage of men's soccer, the package also includes rights to all home games of the Austrian youth national team. All U21 home games will be shown live on ORF.
Furthermore, a significant portion of women’s matches is included in this package. This encompasses all home games of the women’s national team as well as at least 24 matches per season from Women’s Bundesliga live on ORF. The Austrian Women’s Cup will also receive coverage with at least four match per season being aired live. In total, over 50 live soccer matches on ORF will be made available free-to-air (FTA).
ÖFB Supervisory Board chairman, Josef Pröll, said:
“The long-term partnership with ORF sends a strong signal for Austrian football. Visibility is the foundation for enthusiasm, identification, and sustainable development. With this agreement, we are creating planning security and simultaneously strengthening the media presence of women's football and youth development. This is another important step for the development of football in Austria.”
Increased visibility for FIFA World Cup qualifying games
ORF already airs home matches for Austria's men’s national team – a right it shares with commercial network ServusTV. With this new agreement in place that includes women's national team home matches too; there is now increased visibility for qualifying games for FIFA World Cup 2027 in Brazil.
ORF currently shares domestic rights to broadcast Austria's top-tier Bundesliga (ÖFB) with pay-TV broadcaster Sky Österreich for the ongoing cycle from 2022-23 to 2025-26. However, ORF has also managed to retain the same package of rights for the subsequent cycle from 2026-27 to 2028-29. This package includes live coverage of four Bundesliga matches per season – two first-choice and two second-choice games – as well as highlights and short reporting rights for all 195 matches each campaign.
In addition to domestic soccer, ORF also airs highlights of European soccer’s top-tier UEFA Champions League. This is part of an agreement with Canal Plus, a pay-TV heavyweight. Moreover, ORF has secured a sub-licensing deal with Red Bull-owned ServusTV for the broadcasting rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 UEFA European Championships. This new media rights deal between ORF and ÖFB ensures comprehensive coverage of Austrian football across various platforms until at least 2030. This is a significant win not only for these organizations but also for sports fans who will have access to more live games than ever before.
