Australian Professional Leagues (APL) and Paramount Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) today announced a new television broadcast schedule for the 2022-23 A-Leagues season, offering more access for Australian football fans.
Each weekend the top Isuzu UTE A-League Men matches will be broadcast live and free on 10 Bold at 7.45pm on Saturday and every Sunday afternoon at 3pm, which represents an increase of 26 additional matches per season. New for this season, the games will be adbreak free, whistle to whistle.
Every Liberty A-League Women match will be made available live and free on 10 Play, a platform with a 66 per cent female user base, and on Paramount+, offering increased access to support the growth of the women’s game in the lead up to the FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Paramount+ will remain the home of all A-Leagues’ matches, men’s and women’s, which are available to stream live as well as mini-matches, highlights and replays.
The schedule was developed after the first season of A-Leagues on Paramount ANZ’s platforms, which saw the free-to-air broadcast of the A-Leagues reach more than 6.5 million Australian football fans.
Australian Professional Leagues’ CEO, Danny Townsend said: “Paramount ANZ is a committed partner in growing football in Australia, and this season’s broadcast schedule is designed to deliver more football to more Australian homes with 26 additional men’s games on 10 Bold and almost 100 women’s games on 10 Play. Football fans will know exactly where and when they will be able to watch A-Leagues football, week in and week out.
“Making every single Liberty A-League Women game available live and free on 10 Play means that every girl in Australia can turn on their device and have sporting role models at their fingertips. With nine months to go until the FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup, we are maximising the opportunity to access the game at every level.”
Beverley McGarvey, executive vice president and chief content officer, Paramount Australia and New Zealand said: “Both Paramount ANZ and the APL are guided by and committed to a vision to unite, entertain, and further grow the football audience in Australia, ensuring fans are treated to the best seats in the house.”
“The multi-platform broadcast approach guarantees increased availability and accessibility while acknowledging the changing consumption habits of A-Leagues fans.”
Casey Dumont of Melbourne Victory said: “When I was growing up, I was rarely able to see professional female athletes on TV. Today, it is completely normal for young girls and boys to watch both men and women at the highest level and know that a pathway to elite sport exists for them. This is a really significant step forward to ensuring greater access to the professional game, especially for young girls”
Josh Risdon of Western United said: “Last season was one of the most challenging ever with all the disruptions from COVID. This year, the fixture schedule is set, we have 26 more men’s games on 10 Bold and we are going to put on the best show for as many fans as possible every single week. Football really is back.”
The Isuzu UTE A-League Men season will commence on 7 October and run through to 30 April, followed by a seven match finals series in May, with a break from 13 November to 9 December for the FIFA World Cup. The Liberty A-League Women fixture will be announced in the coming days.
