TheHerald can reveal that Ten’s owners,ViacomCBS,have invested a further $100 million into the sport – according to sources with direct knowledge of the deal – to secure a suite of key international fixtures involving Australia’s men’s and women’s teams as well as the FFA Cup and other Asian tournaments.
The new contract,struck with Football Australia,covers the next three and a half years and includes the Socceroos’ final round of qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup,the forthcoming Asian Cups for women (2022) and men (2023),and all friendlies and qualifiers for both senior national teams.
Football has struggled at domestic level over the last few years but Ten is bullish about the sport’s potential in Australia and is planning a huge advertising blitz in the coming months to improve its visibility - and as part of this new deal,along with cross-promotions involving flagship shows likeThe Project andMasterChef,it will commission a children’s program focused on promoting participation in football.
Having once made the Big Bash League the country’s hottest sporting property in the summer,Ten believes it can now make the round-ball code the most popular in Australia.
“It’s good to have a big ambition like that,” Beverley McGarvey,the chief content officer and executive vice president of ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand,told theHerald.
“We’re not in this for a quick win. This is something we will build together with our partners. And I think all of the partners involved know that there’s a long-term goal here,but to do it you’ve got to do it one step at a time.