 Optus today announced that it has secured the rights for livebroadcast coverage and digital rights for broadband and mobile for all 380 Premier League games for each season. As reported by The Australian Financial Review, Optus lodged a US$45 million-plus offer for the rights, which the AFR reported was understood to be significantly higher than an offer lodged by News Corp’s Fox Sports, also shading interest from beIN Sports. “This is another significant step in our strategy to become a mobile-led multimedia company,” Optus chief executive officer Allen Lew commented upon announcement of the deal. “We are dedicated to delivering the best domestic and international entertainment for our customers. With 930 million followers worldwide, the Premier League is one of the most sought after sports properties for content providers. “Today’s announcement is a great win for Optus and will ensure that Aussie football fans can watch all the action from the world’s most popular football league.” Optus also recently announced a three-year sponsorship agreement with Cricket Australia, including the “streaming hundreds of hours of on demand unique cricket content”. At the time, Lew described the partnership as “a significant milestone”, with Optus transforming “to become a content-led telecommunications provider”. The AFR has reported it is understood that Optus has discussed sharing the Premier League rights with Fetch TV. Sporting rights are proving a willing digital battleground for media players, with Optus taking up the fight to rival telco Telstra, 50 per cent owner of Foxtel. In August, Telstra announced it had signed a six-year mobile and digital rights agreement with the Australian Football League to provide exclusive live streaming of all AFL matches to mobile devices from 2017 via the official AFL Live app. The AFR has reported that it is understood Optus has also expressed interest in the NRL mobile streaming rights, with it considered a potential bidder for the pay TV rights currently held by Fox Sports. |
