Sports media gold rush: rights boom meets digital disruption
Rights values are exploding — but old broadcast models are collapsing.
Not a subscriber yet? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.
1 week to go! - Happy Hour Sports Industry Networking event, presented by Groblox
We’re pumped to be hosting another sports industry networking event next week in Sydney in partnership with MEE Agency — and it’s shaping up to be a big one!
People from top organisations in sport have already secured their tickets, and we can’t wait to bring everyone together for a relaxed afternoon of conversation & connection in an informal, welcoming setting.
Who’s attending so far?
Here’s a sample of organisations that people are attending from: Sydney Roosters, Surfing NSW, Australian Turf Club, Foxtel, Mizuno, Sydney Swans, YouGov Sport, Speak Communications, Global Institute of Sport, AFL, Maake, Rugby World Cup, SportsCloud Australia, Sky Media, Twenty First Group, Hoozu, Pitchup, Medibank, Sydney Catholic Schools, Prince Sports & Entertainment, Gemba, TLS Talent, St George Illawarra Dragons, Groblox, OneFootball, Asahi, Merivale, Banter, Supercars, Venues NSW, Ironman, KOJO, Rebel Sport
…and we’re expecting many more!
*Capacity is limited so grab your tickets now to avoid disappointment.
🤝Welcome back Asahi Super Dry
We’re wrapped to have Asahi Super Dry are returning as a sponsor who will help us make happy hour extra special!
Event details:
Date: Thursday 7 August2
Time: 3:00pm - 6:30pm
Location: Sydney
Venue: Level 3, Hotel CBD, 52 King St
Tickets: $27 - grab yours HERE
Whether you work for a team, league, brand, agency, media, government, education or supplier — this is your chance to expand your network and catch up with industry peers over a drink or two.
Essendon FC announced a partnership extension with RMIT University which will become a commercial partner across the Club’s AFLW and VWFL (Victorian Wheelchair Football League) programs in 2025, 2026 and 2027, as well as an AFLW Dreamtime Partner in 2026 & 2027
Gold Coast SUNS Co-Major Partner SIXT extended its partnership for a further 2 years and will continue to feature on both the SUNS’ AFL and AFLW guernseys
Western Bulldogs welcomed female-led commercial law firm Neon Legal as an Official Partner of the Club - the partnership will have a particular focus on the 2025 AFLW program
Hawthorn FC joined forces with the Transport Accident Commission to promote the 2025 AFL Victoria Road Safety Round and shine a light on road safety ahead of last week’s match against Carlton
Sydney Roosters and Brisbane’s Iona College announced a strategic 3-year partnership that will create enhanced pathways for student-athletes and strengthen rugby league development in Queensland
Brisbane Broncos and ASICS extended its Official Footwear and Apparel partnership which will solidify more than a decade-long commitment between the two brands
Wests Tigers announced a new partnership with buyer’s agency Search Property which became the club’s official Membership Partner for the 2026 season
Ukrainian vodka brand Nemiroff signed on as the official vodka partner of the Wallaroos, adding to its impressive global sports portfolio, which includes English Premier League teams such as Aston Villa, West Ham United, Everton, and Fulham FC
Hoops Capital (parent of Sydney Kings and Sydney Flames) announced the extension of its partnership with Beyond Bank
Brisbane Bullets announced a new partnership with Sirromet Wines which will distribute its wine throughout corporate areas at the Club's home games, as well as all club events throughout the season
Bowls Australia secured a new partnership with leading Australian travel company TripADeal which will see the brand integrated into key Bowls Australia platforms including major events, broadcast, digital, and grassroots initiatives
Newcastle Jets inked a deal with Genesis Health + Fitness which became the Club’s Official Gym Partner for the 2025/26 A-League Season
Football Victoria announced Jetts Australia as an exclusive partner of its high performance program for season 2025 - the partnership will support players off the pitch with complimentary access to any Jetts Fitness location
West Coast Eagles sensation Harley Reid became the newest face of Australian audio tech company BlueAnt and will front campaigns for BlueAnt’s signature wireless headphones and portable speakers
North Melbourne FC star Libby Birch launched a children's book titled “Footy Adventures” - the first official AFLW children’s picture book
GWS GIANTS officially opened its brand-new aquatic facility at the club’s high-performance training headquarters in Sydney Olympic Park, marking the completion of the first phase of the GIANTS' Centre of Excellence project
Sportsbet’s annual #TryJuly NRL campaign which encourages players to get creative with their tryscoring celebrations raised $460,000 which will be donated to the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation and the Player Hardship Fund
Through the ‘Magpie Nest Cafe at the G’ initiative, Collingwood FC raised $169,000 to support the Magpie Nest program which will provide 33,800 meals to Melbourne’s most vulnerable people
The ticketing programme for the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 was unveiled - 2.5+ million tickets are available, which is more than ever before, making the tournament the biggest and most accessible in history
US social media influencer Ashton Hall (18.2m Instagram followers) showed up to Engie Stadium to watch GWS Giants vs Sydney Swans last weekend
Federation Square hosted the British & Irish Lions Tour Fan Zone ahead of last week’s Wallabies x British & Irish Lions clash at the MCG
The launch of a new one-stop-shop website, GOLF.com.au was announced for October - A joint initiative by the PGA of Australia and Golf Australia, bringing together 7 legacy websites including golf.org.au, pga.org.au and wpga.org.au, into a centralised, modern and mobile-friendly platform
A new report from Deloitte Access Economics estimated that the potential economic opportunity of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games is $70 billion
Qatar Olympic Committee confirmed its interest in hosting the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games and that it was in “ongoing discussions” with the International Olympic Committee
Real Madrid generated US $1.39 billion of revenue during the 2024-25 season, the highest amount any sports team has ever generated in a single year
Guest Writer: Adam Hodge
Today we’re welcoming back veteran sports and entertainment marketer Adam Hodge.
In the 2nd of his ongoing series of industry commentaries, Hodgie looks at the trajectory of the global sports media market and suggests how Aussie rights holders and sponsoring brands might react to maximise the upside…. Down Under. Enjoy the read!
Sports media gold rush: rights boom meets digital disruption
Right now, the biggest conversation in global sports marketing forums is the seismic shift in media rights. We’ve officially crossed the US $60 billion mark in global rights value — hitting $62.6 billion in 2024 and still climbing in 2025.
Why everyone’s buzzing
Massive events like Paris 2024 and Euro 2024 pushed rights value higher - and the LA Games being helmed by Cassey Wasserman will ensure that number is eclipsed and the bar set very high for Brisbane 2032
The NBA’s new 11‑year, US $76 billion domestic deal with Disney, NBC & Amazon underlines just how hot live sport remains. The pie is growing — but how it's being cut is changing fast.
But it’s not all growth — US regional sports networks are struggling, Europe’s market is plateauing, and fans are splintering across platforms.
What this means for sponsors
Marketers, take note:
Rights deals are more competitive and will consume larger slices of commercial budgets, leaving less for creative and activation.
Digital platforms aren’t just aspirational — they’re the new norm.
Audience fragmentation is real. You now need cohesion across broadcast, OTT, social, gaming, live events and more.
And let’s not forget the wake-up call from Brazil: in 2023, streamer Casimiro (a then 28‑year‑old journalism dropout) grabbed exclusive streaming rights to the Women’s FIFA World Cup when no broadcaster wanted them and delivered then exclusively via a food delivery brand app — now his platform CazéTV holds the rights to all 104 matches of the 2026 Men’s World Cup - proof that anyone can now be a broadcaster – including sponsoring brands themselves.'
Australia’s commercial opportunity
We’re at the brink of our own transformation:
The NRL is reportedly already at the negotiation table. League chiefs Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo have flown to the US to engage with DAZN, Amazon, and Netflix — targeting a multi billion dollar, long-term streaming strategy.
The A-Leagues Paramount+ and Network 10 deal ends 2026 and with the short lived KEEPUP platform now gone and a supposed focus back on domestic game coverage, will the round ball league revisit their media strategy?
Whilst the current AFL and Cricket Australia deals with Seven and Foxtel runs through 2031 will more clubs develop owned OTT platforms, allowing brands options to sponsor social-first athlete content?
Both Rugby and ICC Cricket have gone heavily into streaming (with Stan Sport and Amazon Prime Video respectively) and with Stan just announcing the addition of Premier League, Emirates FA Cup and UEFA Women’s EURO 2025, the Nine owned platform is doubling down.
Netball Australia has the opportunity to revisit a pain point with fans and sponsors alike when their current Foxtel/Kayo deal for Suncorp Super Netball expires in 2026 – will they seek a return to some FTA games or stick with the streaming only playbook?
The real question: Should brands act like passive tenants in this evolution— or co-creators in the media business?
Hodgie’s Final Take
Rights values are exploding — but old broadcast models are collapsing. It's no longer just Amazon or Netflix — it's influencers, streamers, and digital communities claiming fan attention. Brands themselves can also be both sponsors and broadcasters.
As reported in this publication recently, in a world where players have greater social reach than the leagues and clubs they play for….
Related: The rise of the athlete creator
….might brands and the players themselves consider partnerships to not just sponsor, but acquire rights and together become owners of the broadcast – going beyond being just the product broadcast?
Australia has all the pieces — increasingly business savvy sporting talent, a decade of global sporting events on the slate, local and global fan appetite and strong domestic leagues.
It’s time to lean into partnership, share creative control, and activate rights as experience, not airtime.
Because in 2025, the gold rush isn’t about owning rights — it's about shaping the future of them.
A Leagues - Communications Executive/ Manager
AFL - Events Coordinator
Australian Grand Prix Corporation - Marketing Coordinator
Australian Sports Commission - Content Writer
Amer Sports - Senior Marketing Manager - Wilson
Amer Sports - Social Media & CRM Specialist - Wilson
Amer Sports - Trade Marketing Executive
Australian Turf Club - Event Manager
Bastion - Experiential Creative
Bastion - Social Media Manager
Bursty - Social Media Coordinator
Bursty - Videographer
Carlton FC - Creative Content Coordinator
Cricket Australia - Big Bash Consumer Growth Specialist - Acquisition & Retention
Cricket NSW - Team Communications & PR Manager
Crypto.com - Growth Partnerships Manager
Dolphins NRL - Digital Campaign Manager
Easygo - Sponsorship Marketing Coordinator
ESPN - Digital Insights Analyst
Fremantle Dockers - Business Development Manager
Gemba - Account Executive
Gemba - Creative
Gemba - Event Manager
Golf Digest - Advertising Sales Manager
Hawthorn FC - Senior Events Manager
HOKA Australia - Marketing Lead
JD Sports - Retail Marketing Coordinator
lululemon - Events Manager | 6 Months Contract
Melbourne FC - Digital Video Producer
Moonee Valley Racing Club - Project Manager (Client Side)
NBL - Event Marketing Manager
NBL - Public Relations Lead
Netball Australia - Legacy Manager (Netball World Cup)
Netball Queensland - Marketing Officer
Newscorp Australia - Sponsorship Manager
Oaks Hotels, Resorts & Suites - Business Development Manager - Golf & Sporting Groups
Octagon - Event Manager (Fixed-Term Contract)
Octagon - Managing Director, Australia
Octagon - Project Director - No2ndPlace (12 months fixed-term contract)
Panthers Group - Senior Digital Content Producer
Parramatta Eels - Multimedia Coordinator
Perth Wildcats - Video Producer
Puma - Key Account Manager
Prime Video - Sports Social Media Manager
Red Bull - Field Marketing Specialist, Sport
SailGP - Senior Performance Executive (APAC)
Seven Network - Sport Sales Coordinator
Seven West Media - Sport Sales Coordinator
Sportsbet - Strategy Manager
Sportsbet - SEM Executive
Sports Entertainment Network - Digital Content Producer
Sports Entertainment Network - Digital Strategy & Campaign Manager
Stan. - Director, Sports Content
Stan. - Social Media Producer - Sport
Stan. - Sports Digital Content Producer
Stan. - Sport Marketing Manager
Stan. - Sport Programmer
Surfing Australia - Director of Production & Distribution
Sweat - Digital Marketing Strategist
TaylorMade Golf - Communications & Email Specialist
Tennis Australia - Commercial Analyst
Tennis Australia - Head of PR & Communications
Tennis Australia - eCommerce Coordinator
Tennis Australia - Event Operations Lead
Tennis Australia - Manager Business Optimisation
Tennis Australia - Product Operations Lead (Precinct Activations)
Tennis Australia - Systems Manager - Events
TGI Sport - Creative Strategist
THE ICONIC - Head of Sports
Two Circles - Sponsorship Sales Manager
Victoria Racing Club - Public Relations Executive
Victoria Racing Club - Strategy Manager
Not a subscriber yet? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.