Australian Professional Leagues agrees five-year broadcast deal with Channel 10

May 26, 2021

The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) has announced that the A-League and W-League will be shown on Channel 10 and Paramount+ following the signing a five-year broadcast deal with ViacomCBS.

Replacing the current contract which sees games shown on Fox Sports as well as on ABC TV, the new deal will see one match per week from each competition shown live on Channel 10, with the remaining fixtures available on the streaming service Paramount+, which will launch in Australia on 11^th August.

The A-League match will be shown on the main 10’s main channel, with the W-League game broadcast on 10 Bold on Sundays. All free-to-air games will also be simulcast on 10 Play.

In a statement, Viacom CBS said football would be a 'cornerstone' of the expansion of its presence in Australia, and that it had acquired a small stake in the APL as part of the deal.

The APL's member clubs took control of the A-League, W-League, Y-League (youth) and e-League (esports) in December last year.

Introducing the deal, Jarrod Villani, Chief Operating and Commercial Officer and Executive Vice-President of Viacom CBS Australia and New Zealand, stated “we are proud to be making the W-League available to all Australians for the first time on commercial free-to-air television.”

APL Chairman Paul Lederer added “this agreement with one of the world’s biggest content providers, is exactly the kind of significant and vital milestone we have always believed was possible - and that we intend to continue achieving.

"Fox Sports has been a great friend of football since the beginning and we’re incredibly grateful for their support and investment over the past 16 years.

“We thank Patrick Delany and his team for everything they have done for us and for their commitment to help partner us through this transition.”

While neither the APL or 10 would comment on the deal's value, it has been reported to be worth in the vicinity of $200 million including cash and commercial contra arrangements.

The A-League and W-League's current deal, which runs out at the end of the current season, and is worth $32 million each year.

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