ViacomCBS and APL Strike Landmark A-League And W-League Deal

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iacomCBS, who own Network Ten and its streaming subsidiary Paramount+, and the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) have announced a five-year deal worth $200 million, resulting in the A-League being broadcast on commercial free-to-air TV for the first time.

The deal will guarantee one Saturday night match per-week on Ten’s primary channel, with the remaining games to be available behind a paywall on Paramount +, who have ambitions to become the number two streaming service in Australia, behind Netflix.

The W-League section of the deal involves its Sunday afternoon games broadcast on Ten’s secondary channel, 10Bold.

ViacomCBS’ deal is rumoured have been much more suitable to the APL, as opposed to the one tabled by Nine and Stan Sports.

Showcasing their seriousness for the role, ViacomCBS, have bought a 2.5% share in the Australian Professional Leagues (APL), who overtook both competitions from Football Australia in December last year.

ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand chief content officer and executive vice president, Beverley McGarvey said: “We are thrilled to partner with the APL to become the new home of football for both the A-League and the Westfield W-League, giving all Australians access to more football than ever before.”

“Ensuring broad reach on free-to-air, as well as extensive access on Paramount+, we are committed to showcasing the sport in innovative ways and exposing it to a plethora of programming opportunities across all our platforms, including those of our parent company ViacomCBS,” McGarvey said.

APL chairman, Paul Lederer, said the deal was a milestone for the game in Australia.

“Less than six months ago we pledged to create value for the whole ecosystem of Australian football, and this deal is the first step in our delivering on that promise,” Lederer said.

“This agreement with one of the world’s biggest content providers, is exactly the kind of significant and vital milestone we have always believed was possible – and that we intend to continue achieving,” he said.

Broadcast on Network 10 and Paramount+ will begin with the next season of the A-League and W-League, with no word yet on any commentators or experts to have been signed up.