The FA Women’s Super League, the top tier of women’s club football in England, has secured its first rights deal in the Asia-Pacific region through an agreement with Australian telcoms operator Optus.
Optus Sport has secured the exclusive live rights to the WSL for the next three years in Australia, with the agreement commencing with the ongoing 2019-20 season.
Optus Sport will broadcast approximately 50 live matches per full season and around 40 fixtures from the remainder of the current campaign, commencing with Manchester City’s clash against West Ham United on November 17.
Optus Sport will also provide highlight compilations of the WSL, as well as full games on-demand for up to 30 days after first transmission. The deal builds on the telco’s commitment to women’s football after it broadcast the most comprehensive coverage of the Fifa Women’s World Cup ever seen in Australia for this year’s tournament in France.
Tom Gracey, senior broadcast manager at the English Football Association, said: “This is our first deal in the Asian region and demonstrates the ever-increasing global appeal of the league.”
The agreement builds on the enhanced international distribution for the WSL. Ahead of the 2019-20 season, the Pitch International agency brokered agreements with the Nordic Entertainment Group (Nent) and Sky Mexico. Those deals also run from 2019-20 to 2021-22 and generated “six-figure revenue”.