Telecommunications operator Optus will follow Australia’s progress at its maiden Copa America campaign after acquiring rights to this year’s edition of the South American national teams football tournament.
The Copa America, which is being staged in Argentina and Colombia from June 12 to July 12, will add to Optus Sport’s coverage of Uefa Euro 2020. Every match from both tournaments will be broadcast live.
Optus agreed the deal with Japanese advertising agency Dentsu, which in October signed an eight-year contract with Conmebol, the continental football federation in South America, for the rights to the next three editions of the Copa America.
Dentsu’s deal covers three Copa America international tournaments in 2020, 2024 and 2028 and includes the acquisition of all global commercial rights, including sponsorship, broadcasting, licencing, gaming, ticketing and hospitality.
Optus’ head of TV and content, Corin Dimopoulos, said: “Optus Sport continues to grow and attract new content; with an active subscribing base of over 825,000 and other recent rights acquisitions including the FA Women’s Super League and the J.League.”
Optus has been positioning itself as the leader in football coverage in Australia. It also has rights for the English Premier League in the 2019-22 cycle, and the Uefa Champions League and Europa League in the 2018-21 cycle. Its three-season J.League rights deal (also with Dentsu) was announced last month.
Since 1993, two teams from other confederations have been invited to play in the Copa America. In June, it was confirmed that Australia would make its first appearance, along with Qatar. Australia has been drawn in Group A, which will see it take on hosts Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Bolivia and Uruguay.