Suwon Samsung Bluewings pair Adam Taggart (left) and Terry Antonis will be part of the first match of the K League season,which will be broadcast in Australia on Optus Sport.Credit:Suwon Samsung Bluewings
The first match involves two Socceroos,Adam Taggart and Terry Antonis,whose Suwon Samsung Bluewings outfit face reigning champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors at 8pm (AEST).
"I know I’m not the only one who’s been staring longingly out the window waiting for live sport to return,so to bring the K League to viewers in such a friendly time zone from this weekend is something we’re really excited about,"said Richard Bayliss,Optus director of sport.
"In light of COVID-19,we have faith in South Korea’s capability to start the K League while respecting societal requirements to keep players and the wider community safe."
While the pandemic has caused huge financial issues for most broadcasters,it has barely put a dent in Optus'viewership. The telco reported just a 0.5 per cent retraction to 820,000 activated subscriptions between the start of March and the end of April.
The agreement continues the expansion of Optus'suite of football offerings,headlined by the English Premier League. It is the telco's second move into the Asian football market,having also acquired the rights for Japan's J.League this year - which,like the K League,has a distinctly Australian flavour due to the presence of coachesAnge Postecoglou (Yokohama F. Marinos) andPeter Cklamovski (Shimizu S-Pulse).
It will also do little to quell fervent speculation among football fans that Optus could become a potential home for the A-League. Optus has become a significant voice in Australian football during the COVID-19 shutdown,streaming two 'State of Football' specials in which former Socceroos and Matildas discussed the sport's shortcomings and criticised the administrators responsible.