Just days after ABC Radio found out it would no longer exclusively broadcast Australia’s summer cricket series, Football Federation Australia (FFA) has confirmed that the gap will be filled with a new exclusive rights deal for ABC Radio to broadcast the entire Hyundai A-League 2013/14 soccer season.
Under the historic four-year agreement, all 127 Regular Season matches and five Finals Series matches this season will have start-to-finish, uninterrupted live commentary on all of ABC Radio’s platforms.
FFA CEO David Gallop hailed the new agreement as another sign of football’s breakthrough into the mainstream of Australian society, saying: “Live sports on ABC Radio have long been a staple of Australian life and I’m delighted that hundreds of hours of A-League action will be on the radio this season. The national radio broadcaster adds significantly to our reach at a time when audiences for the A-League are booming and there’s a massive surge in interest in football. The ABC is a great supporter of the game, including the live TV coverage of the Westfield W-League, and I know the new partnership will be a major boost to our growth story.”
ABC Radio has previously broadcast Socceroos FIFA World Cup qualifiers and major internationals over the past 30 years and coverage of the Hyundai A-League has grown steadily since the league’s inception in 2005.
Kate Dundas, Director ABC Radio said: “The ABC looks forward to taking our partnership with the FFA to a whole new level. After such a stellar 2012 season, we’re confident this significant investment will help grow the A-League and deliver a great game to new audiences across the country. Under the agreement ABC Radio will broadcast A-League games on all our platforms including each game nationally via the ABC Radio mobile App and online streaming via the Grandstand website.”
ABC Radio will also broadcast matches on ABC Local Radio and on Grandstand Digital Radio.
Season 9 of the Hyundai A-League kicks off this Friday night when Sydney FC plays Newcastle Jets at Allianz Stadium, Sydney. For tickets and information click here.