Australia’s A-League had to deal with a number of issues over the past 12 months. Front and center was a new broadcast rights agreement. While the free-to-air TV portion is still up for grabs, the football competition agreed to a six-year, $250M deal with pay-TV provider Fox Sports. The new agreement is the largest in the competition’s 11-year history. The league is also looking to expand the competition by adding at least two new teams with the start of the ’18 season. The A-League currently features 10 teams, including one in New Zealand. Several cities and regions have already announced their interest, among them South Melbourne, Canberra and Tasmania. The usual suspects, the Australian Football League and National Rugby League, took a backseat this year to football and cricket in terms of creating headlines. The domestic T20 tournament, Big Bash League, has drawn top ratings this season. The high viewer figures led to talks of an early TV deal to cash in on the ratings bonanza. The league is midway through a five-year, $416M deal with Channel Nine and Network Ten, which will expire in ’18. The shortened format has become a global success for the sport, with the Indian Premier League and Caribbean Premier League other successful competitions. Even the England & Wales Cricket Board is considering a new T20 competition. The inaugural Women’s Big Bash League has been similarly successful.
FEMALE FORCE: Women’s sport in general has seen an incredible boost over the past year in Australia. The Women’s AFL is set to kick off its inaugural season in February. The W-League and Women’s BBL keep increasing their footprint, and Netball Australia has restructured its domestic competition. Female athletes were also able to secure a number of wage increases to close the gap to their male counterparts.
MAJOR EVENTS: After losing to Qatar in its bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Australia continues to be interested in hosting global sporting events. The country submitted a bid to host the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Basketball has seen a boost in Australia due to the revived National Basketball League and the success of Australian NBA players. The country, which last hosted an Olympic Games in '00, is also considering bidding for the 2028 Summer Olympics, with Brisbane earmarked as the potential host city. The 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast should provide a clearer picture of Brisbane’s chances for future Olympics.
LOOKING ABROAD: Australia’s sports codes have also continued their exploration of hosting games in foreign countries. While the U.S. college football season kicked off in Australia this year, the AFL, NRL and Super Rugby are all looking at hosting games in the U.S. and China. The NRL is looking to stage an exhibition game in Hawaii as early as February, while the AFL is set to play a game in Shanghai in May. Trailing Europe in terms of attracting Asian investment, Australian clubs are expected to receive increased interest from investors and corporate sponsors in the future.
