APL AND IMG EXTEND RIGHTS PARTNERSHIP

AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL LEAGUES AND IMG EXTEND EXCLUSIVE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA, DATA AND STREAMING RIGHTS PARTNERSHIP

SYDNEY (18 September 2023) – Australian Professional Leagues (APL) and IMG today announced a multi-year renewal of their exclusive media, official data and streaming rights partnership, to further drive audience and commercial growth for the top-flight Isuzu UTE A-League Men and Liberty A-League Women football leagues.

Under the deal, agreed after a competitive process, IMG will continue to manage and distribute the leagues’ international media rights, excluding Australia and New Zealand, while its sports data and technology arm IMG ARENA will capture and deliver official data from every match to over 460 regulated global sportsbook operators.

IMG ARENA will also distribute live streaming betting rights internationally, outside of Australia, and will provide both leagues with full integrity monitoring and analysis services to safeguard competitions and tournaments as their official integrity partner.

Interest in the A-Leagues, across Asia and internationally, has been on a rapid growth trajectory, building on both the leagues’ strong demographics and the continued global growth in interest in football. Since 2017, IMG has helped drive the A-leagues’ commercial growth internationally, securing broadcast coverage in more than 65 markets globally, delivering the men’s and women’s football action to more than 120 million fans each season, and achieving more than 5 times growth in the number of average live stream views per match.

Nick Garcia, Commissioner of the A-Leagues said:

“This extension and expansion of this partnership is testament to the growth opportunity that exists in Australian and New Zealand football right now, and we look forward to continuing to work with IMG to utilise their invaluable expertise and expansive global network. The A-Leagues is home to national team stars, international talent and the Matildas and Socceroos of the future. With three new women’s teams in the Liberty A-League Women, and two men’s teams to come to the Isuzu UTE A-League men, we have more football, more goals and more stories for fans to connect with.”

“We are proud to have developed a strong relationship with APL and helped them achieve significant growth for the A-Leagues over the past six years,” said Dale Levin, SVP, Head of Australasia and Southeast Asia for IMG’s media business. “These are the Asia-Pacific region’s premium football leagues, promising unmissable men’s and women’s action for fans and broadcasters, as well as a popular time zone for sportsbooks globally.

“We are excited to continue this journey with APL and are committed to taking A-League to an even wider global audience, deepening fan engagement, and protecting the integrity of their events, whilst further increasing the value of the leagues,” he added.

The Isuzu UTE A-League Men was founded in 2005 and the Liberty A-League Women in 2008. Every single CommBank Matilda is a product of the women’s league, and more than ​​75% of the Subway Socceroos squad came through the men’s league. Its international audience has seen rapid growth in recent years, driven in part by last season’s 58 international players in the men’s league and 38 in the women’s league.  Last year the league broke attendance records for domestic women’s football, and for men’s attendance during the men’s Finals Series, recording more than 20% increases in free-to-air viewership during the men’s regular season.  

Part of the Endeavor network, IMG is a global leader in sports, media and events. IMG ARENA is IMG’s sports data and technology supplier for the betting, media, and performance sectors. It delivers live streaming and data feeds for more than 65,000 sports events annually, as well as for on-demand virtual sports products and front-end solutions including the UFC Event Centre. Clients include UFC, MLS, PGA Tour, DP World Tour, USTA, EuroLeague, Roland Garros, and the NWSL. 

 

About A-Leagues: 

The A-Leagues represent the pinnacle of professional football in Australia, comprising Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s, Liberty A-League Women’s, Youth and E-league competitions. The 2023-24 season will see 12 clubs in the Isuzu UTE A-League Men and 12 in Liberty A-League Women. 

The A-Leagues, operated by Australian Professional Leagues (APL), is delivering against its bold ambition to develop top-tier professional football talent in Australia, drive engagement across the leagues and to build on football’s undisputed position as the country’s most popular participation sport. 

 

About IMG

IMG is a global leader in sports, fashion, events and media. The company manages some of the world’s greatest athletes and fashion icons; owns and operates hundreds of live events annually; and is a leading independent producer and distributor of sports and entertainment media. IMG also specializes in licensing, sports training and league development. IMG is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global sports and entertainment company.

 

 

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