Optus has today announced it has accepted an offer from Nine Entertainment Co and Stan to assign the rights to the Premier League and Emirates FA Cup for the remainder of the rights term.
Under the agreement, Stan will provide Optus Sport customers (who remain Optus telecommunications customers) with discounted pricing so that they can continue to watch the Premier League and other transferred content and provide additional offers to Optus Sport customers who subscribe to Stan Entertainment and Stan Sport.
Optus will make contributions to the rights payments that Stan makes to the Premier League.
On completion, Stan will pay Optus an upfront payment of $20m and a significant contribution towards the first payment of the next rights cycle.
Stan will begin broadcasting the Premier League ahead of the season kick-off on August 16.
Stephen Rue, Optus CEO said a decision had been made to focus on Optus core operations in telecommunications, its commitment to customers, and unlocking further value for the business in the future.
Optus Sport has delivered outstanding sports broadcasting to Australian football lovers for almost a decade, Mr Rue said,
One of our key priorities was to find a home for Optus Sport content which would take the game forward and enable all Optus Sport subscribers to continue to receive uninterrupted access to all their favourite football action.
Optus Sport customers and the game of football will be in great hands at Stan, and we know the game will receive the broadcasting priority it deserves from an organisation whose speciality is delivering quality sports programming to its customers.
The rights to the J. League and National Womens Soccer League will also be transferred to Stan under the agreement.
Customers will receive detailed information and special offers in coming days to ensure the transition to Stan is as simple as possible.
Matt Stanton, Nine CEO said the agreement would further strengthen the Groups premium sport portfolio across streaming, digital and free-to-air platforms.
The Premier League is the most-watched football league on the planet, and alongside the FA Cup, this acquisition reinforces Nines position as the home of sport in Australia. We are proud to deliver these iconic competitions to Australian audiences through Stan Sport, Mr Stanton said.
Following the transition of sports rights on 1 August, Optus Sport will be closing in its entirety.
Mr Rue said Optus had made a significant contribution to growing and developing the world game in Australia through Optus Sport since it was first launched in 2016.
We are proud of the contribution of Optus Sport to the elevation of football broadcasting in this country and have watched audiences in both the men and womens game continue to grow during this time, Mr Rue said.
Among all the games streamed over the last decade, clear highlights include the broadcast of the 2023 FIFA Womens World Cup hosted in Australia, which was a historic moment for Optus and womens sport across the globe, and the Mens UEFA EURO 2024 hosted in Germany.
Fans will still be able to tune into the broadcast of the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 championship commencing in July on Optus Sport.
Customers seeking further information can contact 1800 501 356 or go to the support page on our website: optus.com.au/oshelp
