Soccer Australia announced that the 2002/2003 National Soccer League Championship Series (Top
6 Finals Series) and Grand Final (delayed coverage) will be televised live on the Expo Channel via the Optus cable and satellite service and regional Austar Pay-TV.
Homeart, an Australian specialty retailer, has also agreed to sponsor the significant production costs of the television coverage of
the matches, in addition to providing the NSL Champions with a bonus 'winners cheque' of $50,000 upon winning the 2002/2003 NSL Grand Final.
A selected match of the round during the 2002/2003 NSL Championship Series
will be telecast live onto Optus and Austar each Sunday afternoon, with negotiations continuing for potential coverage extending to other television options such as Prime TV Newcastle (for matches featuring Newcastle United),
Channel 7 Perth (for Perth Glory matches), Fox Sports (replayed coverage), Sky TV (New Zealand), Australia TV (Asia) and BSkyB (UK).
Stated NSL general manager Stefan Kamasz: "The NSL is extremely pleased that the clubs and fans have an opportunity for television coverage of the
2002/2003 NSL Championship Series.
"We believe that the talent and excitement on offer within the Top 6 NSL clubs competing for the right to contest the 2002/2003 NSL Grand Final will ensure an entertaining and attractive series of matches, with armchair soccer fans finally set to benefit from the television coverage."
Sydney-based television production company Zero1Zero, will provide the production and outside broadcast facilities for the telecasts.
The pay-TV deal comes soon after Soccer Australia finally negotiated a free-to-air TV rights deal for the NSL with the Seven Network.
Prior to these deals, the league had been left with no television coverage at all after the demise of its exclusive deal with the now defunct pay-TV platform C7.
