The World Sport Group agency has signed a four-year extension to its contract to market the global broadcast rights to Australia’s A-League football competition, with the new deal running until the end of the 2016-17 season.
WSG’s new agreement with Football Federation Australia excludes the Australia and Oceania markets, and extends a partnership that has existed since 2005.
In addition to the A-League, the FFA said it has also extended WSG’s agreement to sell the broadcast rights to the Australian senior men’s national team matches.
For the 2013-14 season, WSG has already signed agreements with pay-television broadcaster BT Sport to show at least two matches each week in the UK and extended its deal with commercial broadcaster Mediaset to show all Sydney FC matches in Italy. Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero now plays for Sydney FC.
Further, in partnership with digital sports media company Perform, WSG will also stream every match played in the A-League worldwide, subject to geoblocking in selected territories.
James Clarke, senior vice-president of content at World Sport Group, said: “In the new cycle we’re looking to extend the platform further to more broadcasters in Asia, where Australian football is increasingly important, and also to broadcasters in English-speaking countries which have an affinity with Australia. We are also looking to grow the league’s distribution in southern and eastern Europe; regions with large migrant and expatriate populations in Australia.”