Socceroos

Yesterday, Network 10 officially extended its successful Football Australia contract who will continue airing the Men’s Socceroos and Women’s Matildas matches for another four years between 2025-2028.

Although there will be a couple of changes that you need to know going forward:

• Home Socceroos matches remains live on 10 & 10 play but all away matches will be behind a paywall via Paramount + with the final round of World Cup Asian group qualifying set to begin later this year – expecting this to be similarly arranged across both the Socceroos and Matildas future friendly games.
• 2027 Men’s Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia only on Paramount + regardless if the Socceroos qualify or not. It’s a shame there won’t be at least some free-to-air content unlike the previous one earlier this year in Qatar but again, they’re a team who is not at the top band of Asia unlike Japan at this stage – especially when their A-League comp isn’t so strong compared to the Saudi, Japanese and Korean domestic leagues.
• But there’s a lot more though ahead for the Tillies with six free-to-air 2026 Women’s Asian Cup games on home soil and 15 2027 Women’s World Cup games in Brazil live on 10 & 10 Play with the rest on Paramount +. At least the best of our women’s soccer team will be showcased on free-to-air with the Women’s World Cup rights being a new addition to 10 thanks to Football Australia who recently purchased the 2027 Women’s World Cup rights on its own & then putting it onto this next Football Australia rights deal in order to fetch the best value possible. Sure, 10 missed out the previous Women’s World Cup last year to Seven & Optus Sport when it was held on home soil & also New Zealand, with the next edition going to be held early during the morning our time. But it’s better than nothing though since the Tillies is still on the rise despite their poor Olympics group stage exit at Paris 2024, although you can tell there was no Sam Kerr at the time as she’s still recovering from an ACL knee injury. 
• All other AFC tournaments including the next two U23 Men’s Asian Cup editions for 2026 & 2028 still on Paramount + as well as the Australia Cup domestic knockout competition. It remains to be seen if some of the Round of 32 games onwards will be split across 10 Play & Paramount + or even see most games only on Paramount + but sure the annual grand final though will still be on 10 & 10 Play after all.

Not a bad deal to keep an excellent product that worked so well for 10 if you look at the Socceroos’s whirlwind 2022 journey to the main World Cup draw via Play-Offs as well as the Matildas’ enormous rise over these last few years. 

What’s next now is to sort out with the A-Leagues whose contract will expire at the end of the 2025/26 season with an option for a three-year extension. Since the competition standards aren’t so good as said with the AFC club rankings, this really translates their poor ratings across 10 and Paramount + where games have been aired on 10 Bold over the last few seasons rather than the main channel except the grand final. 

The good news that 10 is in no rush to stay covering Australian soccer when it comes to the A-Leagues but surely that’s up to the competition itself who needs to improve their standards as things won’t make much of difference if they stay running like this regardless of media partner before there’s nowhere else to look out for with competition at the end of the day. 

Although Foxtel would be happy to come back if it becomes available or 10 no longer wants it where some will be paywall and others would be free-to-view via Kayo Freebies (similar to what they do right now with Netball here), but an appropriate type of marketing, value and relationship with a particular broadcaster is key for that next domestic TV rights package.