Sky Network Television has announced a multi-year deal to remain New Zealand’s exclusive broadcaster of the A-Leagues.

The partnership secures broadcast rights for all matches in both male and female A-League competitions, which will be shared across Sky’s multiple broadcast platforms.

The deal comes just weeks out from the Wellington Phoenix’s debut A-League women’s match against the Western Wanderers on 3 December.

Sky head of sport partnerships, Adam Crothers, said: “We’re delighted to confirm that every A-League / Women and Isuzu UTE A-League match will be live and exclusive on Sky, served any which way that works for our customers, on their Sky Box or streaming on Sky Sport Now and Sky Go.”

The announcement follows Sky securing the exclusive broadcast rights in New Zealand for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023, hosted in Australia and New Zealand. “We have worked closely with Australian Premier Leagues (APL) to put a partnership together that’s so much more than a broadcasting deal,” Crothers said.

“As New Zealand and Australia look forward to the biggest global event in women’s sport, the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023, we’ll be working with the APL and other partners like New Zealand Football to grow interest in the ‘beautiful game’ – on the field, in the stands and on air…

“The A-League is yet another important piece in our strategy to lift up women’s sport through greater visibility, more opportunities for women in production and broadcasting and more chances to inspire rangatahi and wāhine in Aotearoa New Zealand,”he said.

APL managing director, Danny Townsend, said: “As the most followed sport in the world, our strategy is to grow and engage with football audiences across New Zealand from grass-roots through to professional competitions.”

“By partnering with Sky, we can offer top-level football to an unprecedented reach of Kiwi football fans,” Townsend said.