Optus has extended its relationship for exclusive Australian rights to the Premier League for a further three seasons, commencing in August 2019.
This includes exclusive live coverage on Optus Sport for every Premier League match, and full on-demand, replay and short-form rights for all 380 matches from 2019 to 2022.
Optus CEO Allen Lew said, “One of the great things about Australian football fans is their passion for the sport, and we’re elated to extend our Premier League broadcast rights for another three seasons. This shows our long-term commitment to provide exclusive premium content and our transition to be a multimedia entertainment provider. Fans have shown that they love what we are doing in bringing the best club competition in the world to Australia and we look forward to taking it to the next level over the next four years.”
Optus Sport Going OTT
As excitement about the 2018 FIFA World Cup intensifies, Optus has separately announced a new direct-to-consumer subscription option for all Australian viewers to access Optus Sport. It will be the only place to watch all 64 matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
From later this month, Optus Sport will be available for the first time to non-Optus customers and Optus customers who were previously not eligible. It will cost $14.99 per month via Google Play and the Apple App Store.
All subscribers will be able to access all of Optus Sport’s 2018 FIFA World Cup coverage, including two 24/7 channels, all 64 matches both live and on-demand and Optus Sport’s entire array of dedicated World Cup programming.
Eligible Optus customers will continue to be able to enjoy access to all Optus Sport content.
2018 FIFA World Cup Programming Highlights
“We’ve made sure every single match played in the 2018 FIFA World Cup receives dedicated pre- and post-game analysis and both live and on-demand viewing options,” Lew said.
Optus has assembled an expert team of analysts, comprising international and national talent, who will be based in Russia and Sydney. Former Socceroo Mark Schwarzer and Optus Sport’s Richard Bayliss will lead the teams. They will produce and deliver five hours of dedicated programming on every match day during the tournament.
Thirty-nine of the 64 games to be shown live on Optus Sport will be exclusive to the platform, including all of Lionel Messi’s Argentinean team group stage matches. SBS will be broadcasting one game per match day simultaneously with the coverage on Optus Sport. This means the free-to-air broadcaster will show 25 games from the tournament.
Optus Sport App
The Optus Sport App will provide people with greater flexibility to connect with the 2018 FIFA World Cup at home or on the go.
“We’ve optimised the app to be compatible with all major smartphones, as well as web browsers, Apple TV and Chromecast, offering a truly flexible viewing experience. Additional features include Start Over, meaning if you’ve missed the start of a live match you can simply select the start over option and jump straight back to the start of the match,” Lew said.
Following the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Optus Sport subscribers will have access to all of Optus Sport’s exclusive content, which continues with the start of the 2018/19 Premier League season in August 2018.
Find out more about Optus Sport on its website.
Optus Sport will shortly announce its full array of World Cup programming, on-air talent and programming lineup.
Personal viewing in Australia only. Compatible device and Australian app store account required.