Optus snatches Premier League rights in Australia

Telecommunications company Optus has acquired exclusive rights in Australia for football’s English Premier League top tier.

The deal will run for three seasons, from 2016-17 to 2018-19. The agreement includes live coverage on television, broadband and mobile platforms for all 380 games per season.

Pay-television operator Foxtel, which has been the Premier League’s sole broadcaster in the country since 1997, will be dislodged as the league’s rights-holder in Australia.

According to the Australian Financial Review newspaper, Optus tabled a bid of more than A$50m (€33m/$36m) per season, substantially more than Foxtel and beIN Media Group.

Optus chief executive Allen Lew said the deal represented “another significant step in our strategy to become a mobile-led multimedia company”.

Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore added: “Optus has an excellent track record as a multifaceted telecommunications company in Australia and we look forward to working with them to make all the best Premier League content available to our fans across the country.”