Optus has announced it will be transferring it Premier League and Emirates FA Cup football rights to Stan for the remainder of the rights term so it can focus on providing better value for its telecommunications customers.
Stan will offer discount pricing to Optus Sports customers who remain Optus telecommunication customers so they can still watch Premier League and other transferred content.
There will also be other offers to Optus Sport customers who subscribe to Stan Entertainment and Stan Sport.
Optus Sports will cease broadcasting on August 1.
Optus will continue to supplement the rights payments along with Stan for the Premier League coverage.
At the end of the agreement, Stan will pay Optus $20m upfront and a major contribution towards the first payment of the next rights cycle.
Optus CEO Stephen Rue says the decision to relinquish the Premier League and Emirates FA Cup football rights was so the company could focus on its core operations.
“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.”
Also transferred to Stan under the agreement will be the J. League and National Women’s Soccer League.
Optus Sport customers will receive more information and special offers in the next few days to ensure the transition to Stan is as smooth as simple as possible.
Nine CEO Matt Stanton says the agreement will bolster the Group’s portfolio of premium sports across streaming, free-to-air and digital.
“The Premier League is the most-watched football league on the planet, and alongside the FA Cup, this acquisition reinforces Nine’s 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.
Optus Sports will close on August 1 after the transition is complete.
Mr Rue said Optus played a huge part to help grow and develop the world game for Australian fans through Optus Sport since its launch 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 women’s 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 Women’s World Cup hosted in Australia, which was a historic moment for Optus and women’s sport across the globe, and the Men’s UEFA EURO 2024 hosted in Germany.”
Customers seeking further information can contact 1800 501 356 or go to the support page on our website: optus.com.au/oshelp
