TV SHAKE-UP MAKES 130 MORE A-LEAGUES GAMES FREE TO SEE

The A-Leagues will feature 130 extra games on free-to-air TV with no ad-breaks in play this season, as part of a new broadcast schedule agreed with host broadcasters the 10 Network and Paramount Plus.

An extra game each round from the Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s season and the whole of the Liberty A-League Women’s season will be free to watch, as part of a deliberate policy to expand access to the competitions in the second season of a five-year broadcast deal.

As the countdown intensifies to the Women’s World Cup next year in Australia and New Zealand, every game in all 20 rounds of the expanded A-League Women – and the finals – will be shown for free on 10 Play, as well as on Paramount+.

For the A-League Men, meanwhile, after seeing half of all games moved due to COVID and weather issues last season, two of the top matches will be shown live and free on 10 Bold at 7.45pm on every Saturday and at 3pm every Sunday afternoon – designed to ensure supporters know exactly when games are available to watch.

In addition, all games across both leagues will be broadcast without ads in play, answering a key criticism of supporters last season.

The A-League Women season expands to 11 teams, with the addition of Western United for this season, and will expand again to 12 the year after when the Central Coast Mariners return for the first time since 2009.

“Making every single Liberty A-League Women game available live and free on 10 Play means that every girl in Australia can turn on their device and have sporting role models at their fingertips,” said Australian Professional Leagues CEO Danny Townsend.

“With nine months to go until the FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup, we are maximising the opportunity to access the game at every level.

“Paramount ANZ is a committed partner in growing football in Australia, and this season’s broadcast schedule is designed to deliver more football to more Australian homes with 26 additional men’s games on 10 Bold and almost 100 women’s games on 10 Play. Football fans will know exactly where and when they will be able to watch A-Leagues football, week in and week out.”

The A-League Men season will kick off on 7 October and run through to 30 April, followed by a seven match finals series in May, with a break from 13 November to 9 December for the World Cup. The Liberty A-League Women fixture is due to be announced in the coming days but is expected to begin at the end of November.