Optus Sport

Television Subscription and International
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Optus extends UEFA Champions League and Europa League coverage through YouTube and Twitter

Optus Sport, the exclusive home of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) and UEFA Europa League (UEL) in Australia, is kicking off the year with trialling an innovative new digital arrangement to extend its football coverage to give fans the chance to watch selected Optus Sport matches via Twitter and YouTube.

The arrangement will see Optus Sport transmit a total of 10 matches between February and April 2019 on the Optus Sport channels through the social media platforms.

This will include six live UEL matches on Twitter and four live UCL matches on YouTube, starting with the live broadcast of Tottenham against Dortmund in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League on the Optus Sport YouTube channel.

“These exciting collaborations with YouTube and Twitter mark a major opportunity to leverage the world’s biggest international club competitions and amplify our incredible live programming of these tournaments,” Optus’ Head of TV and Content Corin Dimopoulos said.

Mr Dimopoulos added while similar types of partnerships have been rolled out overseas, it is the first time that regular competitive football matches will be made available this way in Australia.

“Optus Sport is illustrating continued innovation by opening our Optus Sport broadcasts through our YouTube and Twitter channels,” he said.

“We will continue to showcase our exceptional live productions and at-ground presence which we have successfully delivered since securing the rights of these two competitions this season.

“This is a terrific digital partnership with two great platforms to provide fans of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League an opportunity to enjoy our content.”

The two separate arrangements will run from February 2019 through to April 2019 as follows:
• UEFA Champions League: Optus Sport YouTube channel - two games from round of 16 phase and two games from the Quarter-finals transmitted live
• UEFA Europa League: Optus Sport Twitter page - two games from round of 32, two games from round of 16 phase, and two games from the Quarter-finals transmitted live

“Football is one of the biggest drivers of conversation on Twitter in Australia, so we’re excited to collaborate with Optus Sport to bring these live matches from the UEFA Europa League to Twitter,” says Olly Wilton, Twitter Australia Head of Sports Partnerships.

“Passionate football fans will need to look no further than Optus Sport and Twitter to keep up to date with what is happening during the knockout phase.”

YouTube Australia Sports Partnerships Lead Andrew Peterson said, "Over the past six months, Optus Sport has done a fantastic job establishing its YouTube channel as the home for European football highlights. We’re thrilled to be working with the team at Optus to continue evolving their strategy and to bring selected live UEFA Champions League games to Aussie audiences on YouTube for the first time.”

Optus Sport games available live on Optus Sport Twitter page and Optus Sport YouTube channel broadcast schedule (10 games in total):

UEFA Champions League Round of 16 on Optus Sport YouTube channel

  1. Tottenham v Dortmund 14 February 7am AEDT
  2. Real Madrid v Ajax March 6 7am AEDT

UEFA Europa League Round of 32 on Optus Sport Twitter page
3. Malmo v Chelsea 15 February 7am AEDT
4. Valencia v Celtic 22 February 4.55am AEDT

UEFA Europa League Round of 16 on Optus Sport Twitter page
5. One game 8 March*
6. One game 15 March*

UEFA Champions League Quarter-finals on Optus Sport YouTube channel
7. One game 10/11 April*
8. One game 17/18 April*

UEFA Europa League Quarter-finals on Optus Sport Twitter page
9. One Game 12 April*
10. One Game 19 April*

*Games and times to be announced post draw

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Singtel Optus chief executive Allen Lew last week declined to comment on the Rugby World Cup process, but said the telecommunications company was broadly interested in “premium exclusive content” and was “looking at all possibilities”.

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FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019

With 100 days to go until the first ball is kicked at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, Optus Sport has announced its broadcasting plans for the tournament.

Optus Sport will be the only place to watch all 52 matches live; with 40 of these matches exclusive. The live coverage will be complemented each day by a live preview and review show plus every match available on demand.

Optus Sport will have three crews in France during the tournament, one which will be dedicated to covering the Matildas, in addition to a main hosting studio.

“Optus is committed to taking the investment in women’s sport to a new level for Australian broadcasters when the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup gets underway in June,” Optus’ Head of TV and Content, Corin Dimopoulos said.

“There will be more than 100 live programs on Optus Sport, plus we anticipate adding over 1000 pieces of content, including the popular mini matches, news updates, feature stories and behind the scene moments from France.

“We are committed to showcasing not only a high-quality production but delivering the best Women’s World Cup broadcast experience for all of our customers.”

Customers with an Optus Sport subscription will be able to access:
*All 52 games of the FIFA Women’s World Cup live and on demand
*40 matches exclusively
*Preview show and review show produced and delivered live by Optus Sport
*Mini matches from every match
*All games available on the big screen or on-the-go

Optus Sport’s broadcast team will be announced in the lead up to the tournament.

The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup commences on June 7, when France take on Korea Republic in Paris, and concludes on July 7.

The Matildas, under new Head Coach Ante Milicic, have drawn Group C alongside Italy, Brazil and debutant Jamaica and will play their first match on June 9 against Italy.

Key matches exclusive to Optus Sport include:

England v Scotland – Monday June 10 at 2am AEST. These countries have a steeped sporting history. This will be Scotland’s first ever FIFA Women’s World Cup appearance, and they face a tough ask against the world’s fourth ranked side. Expect plenty of passion and noise as border neighbours renew hostilities.

New Zealand v Netherlands – Tuesday June 11 at 11pm AEST. New Zealand qualified France 2019 without conceding a goal, however their first match against European Champions the Netherlands will be a big step up in class. The Football Ferns are coached by Tom Sermanni, the former Matildas coach who is embarking on his fourth FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Germany v Spain – Thursday June 13 at 2am AEST. European powerhouses collide in a match that could prove decisive in Group B. Germany are two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup Champions, and many expect them to go all the way this year, however Spain will prove a stern test, having qualified for France 2019 without dropping a single point.

Japan v England – Thursday June 20 at 5am AEST. The final match of Group D is a re-match of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup Semi-Final, which Japan won thanks to a stoppage time winner. Fast forward four years and Japan are Asian Champions, while the weight of expectation is on an England side coached by Manchester United great Phil Neville.

Netherlands v Canada – Friday June 21 at 2am AEST. Featuring two teams ranked in the world’s top 10, this match should decide top spot in Group E. Netherlands are the European Champions, while Canada boast Christine Sinclair, the second most prolific scorer in women’s international football with 178 goals.

USA v Sweden – Friday June 21 at 5am AEST. These teams have played a record five times at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, ensuring a healthy rivalry between two genuine title contenders. USA are the reigning champions and the most successful nation at the event, having won the title three times.

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If I was to have a guess, SBS’ 12 games will consist of all 3 Matildas group games, 4 Round of 16 matches, 2 quarterfinals, both semifinals and the final

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Optus Sport assembles female-led team for FIFA Women’s World Cup coverage

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left to right: Michelle Escobar, Amy Duggan, Niav Owens

Optus Sport has brought together some of Australia’s best female journalists and football talent to lead the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup coverage when the tournament gets underway this June.

Respected presenter and former Matilda, Amy Duggan, is the first host to be announced for Optus Sport’s match coverage, while Heather Garriock, Alicia Ferguson, and Niav Owens will also join the team.

Optus Sport is the only place to watch all 52 matches of the FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament live, and the broadcast team will provide extensive match coverage, expert opinion, in-depth analysis and behind the scenes access from France.

“We are extremely proud of the team we are assembling for the FIFA Women’s World Cup,” Optus’ Head of TV and Content Corin Dimopoulos said.

“Optus Sport will not only deliver Australia’s most comprehensive coverage of a Women’s World Cup, but our team will also provide greater coverage from within the Matildas camp than ever before.”

Leading an expert panel of current and former players will be ex-Matildas player Heather Garriock, who after representing her country on 130 occasions, is now Canberra United W-League coach.

Alicia Ferguson, another former Matilda, will be providing insight as the national team’s campaign unfolds in France, while experienced reporter Niav Owens will bring viewers the latest news from pitchside as well as from inside the Matildas camp.

Alongside Alicia and Niav, Optus Sport reporter Michelle Escobar will bring viewers a behind-the-scenes look at all the colour and noise of the tournament, along with daily news updates.

“It is an incredible honour to be part of the Optus Sport team that will bring all the action from one of the biggest women’s standalone sporting events,” said Amy Duggan, who played 33 games for the Matildas between 1997 and 2005.

“I will be working alongside some amazing talent, and talent that have been there before and know what it’s like to be a part of a national team.

“I’m really looking forward to a month of non-stop football, every game live and following each team’s journey, especially our golden girls the Matildas.”

With extensive coverage planned around all 52 matches during the tournament, Optus Sport is planning further talent announcements including additional hosts, along with more detail around the on-air presentation, over the coming months.

“We will place the Women’s World Cup on the pedestal it deserves, and it’s no coincidence we are announcing our line-up today, being International Women’s Day,” Mr Dimopoulos added. “I know we will have succeeded if my young daughters wish to emulate the stars of the tournament.”

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Optus Sport will stream every match of Euro 2020 qualifiers, starting tomorrow (Friday) morning with Kazakhstan v Scotland. The fixture can be found here

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Another Optus Sport Twitter stream:

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https://community.foxtel.com.au/t5/Foxtel-Announcements/EPL-Club-Channels-Unavailable/m-p/270516
Maybe Optus should consider picking up these channels to complement its EPL coverage.

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I’m not sure they’d add much value to the service. They’re pretty hard to watch even when you’re a fan of the club in question.

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Well I have enjoyed Chelsea TV, especially watching classic matches from years gone by.

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While catching up on my recordings on Fetch tonight, I saw this notice regarding Optus Sport cutting back some spare channels from next week. This will affect Optus’ Premier League and UEFA Champions League coverage from next season.

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Not really - those channels would only have been used a handful of times since they launched (mainly for the last day of the Premier League season when 10 games are played at the same time)

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Yes, I was thinking where/how could they possibly get 11 full time channels of sport from (particularly when FOXTEL have the major Australian sports sown up).

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Waste of space and bandwith having 11 channels if you have an app on Fetch playing matches live and on-demand. Only time Optus Sport 7-11 were used was during the final day of the Premier League today as well as the app on Fetch and on mobile devices.

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The 11 channels are on their linear satellite platform, so they do have a purpose despite being dead 99% of the time. Good to see they will utilise their on-demand platform more effectively, but I imagine all 11 will still exist into the future.

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European Football scores for Optus Sport

Premier League and UEFA Champions League fever fuels huge Optus Sport growth

Optus Sport’s coverage of the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League has scored with viewers, with both seasons’ gripping action fuelling record audience numbers for Optus Sport.

Must-see matches in both Leagues, including Liverpool’s incredible 4-0 victory against Barcelona and Tottenham’s equally historic away-win at Ajax, has seen Optus Sport’s activated customer numbers soar 50% year-on-year.

This morning’s final round of the Premier League saw the highest ever viewing numbers for Optus Sport, eclipsing last year’s FIFA World Cup, with customers streaming to watch Manchester City pip Liverpool to the title.

Optus Sport has also enjoyed its biggest ever week, with unique weekly viewers up +130% in the past week compared to the same week last season.

Corin Dimopoulos, Optus’ Head of TV and Content, revealed that European football fever is gripping Optus fans with sign-ups to Optus Sport swelling dramatically ahead of an all-English Champions League final and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 in France next month.

“We’re thrilled with the strong growth of Optus Sport viewers this year and the fantastic feedback we’ve received from fans across the country,” Mr Dimopoulos said.

“This season has delivered non-stop, jaw-dropping moments from the world’s most popular game, and we’re delighted to see a record number of fans signing up to Optus Sport ahead of the must-see Champions League final on Sunday June 2 and the launch of the spectacular FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 on Saturday June 8 (AEST).

“I’m proud of our coverage and the work of our excellent production crew and very dedicated on-air hosts and commentators, such as Mark Schwarzer, Michael Bridges, Mel McLaughlin, Ned Zelic and Richard Bayliss.”

Optus holds the rights to Premier League, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League, and in the last year has streamed over 1,000 hours of football.

• Audience numbers are up more than 100% year-on-year, thanks to addition of UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Nations League content
• Sign-ups to Optus Sport are up +50% year-on-year
• Volume of games on Optus Sport has almost tripled – almost 3x games a day on average

And the numbers are soaring across social media too. The Optus Sport social platforms have had a 65% year-on-year increase in followers, while in the last fortnight alone a Lionel Messi goal posted on the Optus Sport Facebook page recorded a massive 300,000 organic views and a Vincent Kompany goal 292,000 organic views.

All the Optus Sport action can be viewed on the big-screen via Fetch, Apple TV, Apple Airplay, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV or Xbox, or on-the-go via tablets, mobile, desktop or laptop.

Optus Sport is available as an optional extra on eligible Optus plans for no extra cost. Non-Optus customers, and Optus customers who are ineligible for a monthly subscription at no added cost, may subscribe to Optus Sport for $14.99 per month.

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