Sports Technology

Richard Bayliss has joined the Australian Professional Leagues (APL), operators of the top tier of domestic men’s, women’s and youth football in Australia, as its first Director of Content.

Bayliss joins APL after five years with Optus Sport where he guided production and editorial direction as both Director of Sport and lead presenter.

Under his leadership, Optus produced world-class studio, digital and social coverage of the English Premier League, FA Women’s Super League, the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cups, Euro 2020, along with the UEFA Champions League and Europa League - all while setting new standards for the depth of coverage available to Australian audiences. He has also overseen a growing bank of content focused on the domestic football scene, including the ground-breaking feature series and documentary Football Belongs.

Prior to Optus Sport, Bayliss (pictured) spent six years at Fox Sports as Reporter and Presenter, including three seasons as Football Correspondent and sideline commentator for the A-League coverage.

In his new role, Bayliss will lead APL’s brand new content arm, a key strategic growth focus for APL, with a brief to create the most compelling home of football coverage in Australia - championing the best of the A-League and W-League but also delivering multi-platform stories and news about football from all corners of the globe.

Announcing the appointment, APL Managing Director, Danny Townsend stated “delivering a world-class content offering is central to how APL are investing to grow the game - both in our own content and through our broadcast partnership with ViacomCBS.

“Richard will be vital in driving that strategy forward to bring football into every Australian home.”

Looking forward to his new role, Bayliss added “when I reflect on what the game has meant to me from a young age, it’s both an honour and a dream come true to be part of the team tasked with transforming football in Australia. APL has an ambitious vision to finally fulfill the game’s potential and creating innovative content to connect with and represent fans is a vital part of that.

“Australian football is crafted from the most captivating stories and personalities, and fans can trust us to deliver those stories like never before. We’re less than three months out from the start of the season and I can’t wait to get started.”

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