Oceania
Gabba revamp scrapped as Queensland reshapes Brisbane 2032 venue plan
The venue infrastructure plan for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games is set for a significant overhaul after the Queensland Government elected to scrap a planned major redevelopment of the Gabba and reject a review committee’s recommendation to build a new “world class stadium”.
Singtel ‘exploring all options’ on Optus but rules out full sale
Singaporean telco Singtel is considering disposing of a significant stake in its Australian business Optus to a Canadian private equity firm, but plans for a full sale have been vehemently denied by the firm.
Dolphins marks Australian first with medicinal cannabis shirt sponsor
National Rugby League (NRL) team The Dolphins has become the first sports team in Australia to have a medicinal cannabis sponsor in Alternaleaf.
Australia closes in on 2026 Women’s Asian Cup after Saudi, Uzbek withdrawals
Australia is the favourite to host the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup following the withdrawal of Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia from the bidding race.
NRL ready to close gap on AFL in next rights deal after record 2023 revenues
Australasia's National Rugby League will find itself in its strongest-ever financial position when it comes to negotiate its next domestic media-rights deal, after reporting record revenues topping A$700m (€424m/$458m).
Sky NZ weighs up exclusivity balance amid rising subscriber costs
Sky New Zealand is considering an increased role for free-to-air coverage of sports events it acquires rights to, with the exclusivity balance to be “part of the conversation” during rugby rights negotiations lat…
Nine deals with Tabcorp for Melbourne Cup free-to-air rights to 2029
The Melbourne Cup, Australia’s showpiece horse racing event, has a new free-to-air home after commercial broadcaster Nine Entertainment signed off a six-year contract with Victoria Racing Club (VRC) a…
Super Bowl ratings jump in NFL’s core international markets
Record UK viewing figures on Sky Sports for Super Bowl LVIII were among strong performing ratings across a variety of the National Football League’s target international markets.
Entain to promote Ladbrokes brand in Australia through regional UFC deal
Entain-owned betting brand Ladbrokes has agreed a regional sponsorship deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in Australia and New Zealand.
Foxtel’s Ebitda down 14 per cent amid high rights costs
Australian pay-television broadcaster Foxtel has recorded a 14-per-cent drop in earnings, citing increased media rights fees for sports properties as a key driver of the loss
Mass job cuts planned at A-Leagues, KeepUp media unit set to shut
The Australian Professional Leagues (APL), the governing body of the A-League Men and Women competitions, is set to cut as much as 50 per cent of its workforce, with its KeepUp media arm among the casualties,…
Royal London to brand Lions women’s shirt, Howden sponsors NZ tour
UK-based life, pensions and investments mutual Royal London has been named as founding partner and front-of-shirt sponsor for the British & Irish Lions women’s team’s first-ever overseas tour.
New Zealand Rugby proceeds with capital raise via Silver Lake
The New Zealand Rugby board has agreed to proceed with raising NZ$62.5m (€38.6m/$42.5m) via its existing Silver Lake underwrite, in a move that will increase the private equity company’s interest in NZR Commercial from 5.71 per cent to 7.5 per cent.
Cricket Australia appoints Rise Worldwide to sell virtual inventory in India
Cricket Australia (CA) has selected Rise Worldwide as its exclusive virtual sponsorship sales agency in India on a four-year term.
Castore reshuffles cricket portfolio with New Zealand kit deal
UK sportswear brand Castore has announced a new sponsorship agreement with New Zealand Cricket (NZC), expanding its presence in the sport once more after exiting previous agreements.
Luzhou Laojiao extension marks latest Tennis Australia sponsorship business
Tennis Australia has continued its run of sponsorship deals for the Australian Open through the extension of its contract with Luzhou Laojiao
BMS replaces Westpac on Queensland Reds jersey
Australian Super Rugby Pacific team Queensland Reds has named global insurance broker BMS Group as its new front-of-jersey sponsor in a four-year agreement, from 2024 to 2027
Trio of deals cements Foxtel’s cricket position
Foxtel has extended its Cricket South Africa (CSA) rights in a multi-year deal from 2024-25 onwards, reinforcing its position as the ‘home of cricket’ in Australian broadcasting.