Who owns Australia’s sporting clubs and why it matters
How our major sports competitions are structured, and the effect this has on the capacity to grow in a way that serves commercial interests, and that of the community our sports represent
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.
See you next week?!
Don’t forget to buy your tickets to our next Happy Hour Sports Industry Networking event, presented by Groblox (Melbourne) - it’s shaping up to be another BIG one!
We’re teaming up again with MEE Agency to launch our next sports industry networking event in Melbourne:
Date: Thursday 9 October
Time: 3:00pm - 6:30pm
Location: Melbourne
Venue: Royal Saxon Hotel, Richmond
Tickets: $27
What to expect:
An afternoon/evening of post-work casual drinks in a fun, informal and welcoming setting. Check out previous events:
Who should attend?
We’re bringing together a mix of professionals from across the sports ecosystem - Here’s a sample of who came last time: Bastion, Victorian Government, Essendon FC, Mattel, National Basketball League, FutureLabs, TGI Sport, Handy Squid, Medibank, Harry the Hirer, Western Bulldogs, Golf Australia, Melbourne FC, Atlassian, Melbourne & Olympic Park, Collingwood FC, Graffiti, SportsCloud Australia, Hockey Victoria, Red Exhibition, Australian Sports Foundation, basketball.com.au, Kode Group, Marvel Stadium, School Sport Victoria, MAAKE, Analyst Economy / Scout, Tradable Bits, Max Events, Australian Football League, Cricket Australia, Deakin University, iReel, Crown Resorts, Bursty, Spacecube, Tennis Australia, Max Events, KOJO, Tabcorp, North Melbourne FC
Celebrating our new and renewed event partners 🤝
Groblox - Who have returned as our Presenting Partner and who are helping ensure that we can deliver our sports industry event series in a fun, meaningful and sustainable way. What’s Groblox? Their modular structures are tailored for modern sports & entertainment events and experiential marketing - Check them out here
Sport Design Australia - A top-tier sports creative agency that can help turn your creative desires into game-changing results. They’re experts in branding, design and creative support for sport and are trusted by top sports organisations to deliver creative that builds brand, engages fans and increases revenue. A HUGE thank you to the team for joining us as a sponsor this week! Check out their Instagram out here. Looking for creative support? Reach out to Ryan.
Cant wait to connect over a drink! Cheers 🍻 🥂
The sports industry sponsorship openings board gives sports organisations an opportunity to showcase their partnership openings, and brands the ability to discover the right fit.
WHOOP became an Official Supply Partner of the Brisbane Lions and will provide its wearable technology to the Club’s AFLW program (formalising a collaboration that has already been in place for multiple seasons)
Tennis Australia announced Altos as the Official Tequila of the Australian Open - Partnering for the first time, Altos will bring its signature tequila-based cocktails to the Happy Slam in 2026
St Kilda FC signed a 3-year agreement with the Fijian Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation - the deal opens the door to a wide range of initiatives, both commercially and in the community - From player camps and talent identification to tourism activations
Richmond FC welcomed automotive brand GWM as its new Joint Major Partner - as part of the partnership, the GWM logo will be proudly displayed across all Richmond apparel, including the Club’s AFL playing guernsey
Blackmores Group entered into a new partnership with the WNBL and renewed its partnership with the NBL - The partnership will deliver initiatives that empower individuals and communities to enjoy healthier lifestyles, invest in their wellbeing and move often
Australian Athletics and Rio Tinto renewed and expanded their partnership for a further 3 years, deepening a shared commitment to driving community engagement and promoting athletics at all levels
Complete Business Travel signed on with the Brisbane Broncos for another year and will continue to deliver trips for the Club’s faithful in 2026
Sydney Kings and Flames ownership group, Hoops Capital announced a new multi-year partnership with Foot Locker which will see the brand integrate into game days through signage and activations
Minor Hotels Australasia became the Official Hotel Partner and Major Sponsor of the WNBL which will see it deliver experiences, stories and meaningful moments for fans, players, and hotel guests, from in-stadium activations, on-property touches, and exclusive moments for Minor DISCOVERY loyalty members
Dulux extended its partnership with Melbourne Victory until the end of the 2026/27 season - the iconic Dulux Dog will feature in member communications and make a special appearance at a match during the season
SIXT became the Official Transport Partner of Macarthur Bulls FC for the next 2 Isuzu UTE A-League seasons - it will feature prominently across multiple platforms, including front-of-short branding on the Bulls’ A-League playing kits
Central Coast Mariners welcomed payment and FX services company Corporate Alliance Group on board as an Official Associate Partner which will feature across the Mariners’ LED signage, digital activations, community engagement initiatives, and exclusive networking events
Australian-owned commercial cleaning, security, maintenance, and construction company SKG Services elevated its investment with the Adelaide 36ers which will see its brand positioned on the front of the club’s white away jersey during NBL26
NBL and 2K Games renewed their partnership for the Hungry Jack’s NBL26 season - Fans can look forward to representing their favourite NBL teams in NBA 2K26 in the future
Adelaide Lightning renewed its partnership with the Department for Infrastructure and Transport which will see the return of the THINK! Road Safety Partnerships Program for the 2025/26 WNBL season
Illawarra Hawks announced the return of Multi Civil and Rail as a major sponsor and front-of-jersey partner for NBL26
Flinders St Station was lit up with projections to mark the arrival of the New Orleans Pelicans and this week’s NBA x NBL series
Prior to the Brisbane Broncos’ finals victory last week, Queensland Premier David Crisafulli revealed that Suncorp Stadium will be completely transformed before the Brisbane 2032 Games (it was last redeveloped in 2003)
Victorian Government released its “MCG Social and Economic Value Study” which found 4m+ fans attended the stadium in 2024 across 69 major events, and that it brought more than 620,000+ visitors to Victoria from interstate and overseas, pumped $720m into Victoria’s economy last year, and supported 7,500 full-time equivalent jobs
Tasmania FC announced its officially opening the ‘Devils Den’, its first retail store in Hobart
Sports Entertainment Group announced the rebranding of its athlete talent management division from Bravo Sport to Odyssey Sports Management
NRL lit up the sky above the Sydney Opera House with a spectacular drone show to mark Grand Final week
Former West Coast and Richmond superstar Ben Cousins teamed up with StreetX for the launch of a new T-shirt via a ‘cheeky’ video on his Instagram which has received almost 400k views so far
Foxtel Media announced that top-tier brands Harvey Norman, KFC, and Westpac have come on board as sponsors for the NRLW 2025 season
Nick Kyrgios fronted the media to mark the beginning of the construction of a new $9.9m tennis facility in Canberra which has begun 5 years after a funding pledge from the ACT government
Melbourne United announced that Melbourne-based entrepreneur Aaron Sansoni is acquiring Larry Kestelman’s final 15% shareholding in the club
Snoop Dogg is set to return to NBC’s Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics coverage in Italy, following his headline performance at the AFL Grand Final
NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced that Bad Bunny will lead the halftime festivities at the 2026 Apple Music Super Bowl halftime show
UK Government and NBA launched a £10m partnership to grow grassroots basketball across the country
Guest Writer: Matt Krog
Today we’re welcoming Matt Krog, Director and Founder at Aus Sports Law, as this week’s guest writer!
Matt Krog is a commercial and sports lawyer and the founder of Aus Sports Law. He focuses on the business of sport, working with private sporting businesses, athletes, and governing bodies across Australia on governance, structuring, and commercial matters. Recognised nationally by Lawyers Weekly as a Commercial Partner of the Year finalist in 2025, Matt is also a Director of Sports Gold Coast and regularly writes on the intersection of sport, business, and law.
In today’s article, Matt breaks down who owns Australia’s sporting clubs and why it matters.
Enjoy the read!
Who owns Australia’s sporting clubs and why it matters
Sport in Australia is booming in popularity, with the country’s codes enjoying higher participation and engagement than ever before. Whilst popularity soars, what is often misunderstood, or not considered at all, is how the major competitions are structured, and the effect that that structure has on the code’s capacity to grow in a manner that serves its commercial interests, and that of the community it represents.
What is abundantly clear is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to an ownership model.
Across the country’s major sporting competitions, being AFL, NRL, A-League, Super Rugby, NBL and the Big Bash, each competition has adopted a different model.
With sport increasingly being viewed by PE and VC firms, family offices, and asset managers as an asset class, pressure is being applied on member/governing body-owned competitions to reassess their ownership model to determine whether it remains fit for purpose.
For those that have already embraced the privatised model, the challenge is to ensure that appropriate governance frameworks are in place to manage the inherent risks associated with operating a ‘for profit’ model, ensuring stability within the relevant clubs and competitions.
Ownership Models by Code in Some of Australia’s Largest Sports
Strengths and Weaknesses
Commission or association-owned structures, such as those seen in the AFL, BBL and Super Rugby, are designed to provide stability and protect community interests
These models ensure that surpluses are reinvested in the sport, and that decision-making remains centralised. The focus remains solely on growing the sport, rather than trying to juggle growth alongside the expectation of generating a return for shareholders. The trade-off with the sole focus is the potential limitation on innovation and rate of growth. Without access to private capital, and the deep and diverse networks and capabilities that they can offer, clubs can struggle to increase their reach, modernise their facilities and improve their attraction factor at the rate that is required in the increasingly competitive and crowded sporting landscape.
Privatised models, which you can see in the NRL (partially), A-League and NBL, offer almost the reverse
These models allow clubs to attract more sophisticated and global capital, and creates numerous opportunities to grow locally and internationally at a much greater speed. The potential downside with this model is the instability risk that private ownership naturally creates. If a club is not performing well, or fails to increase revenue or profit, clubs can experience a high turnover of Board members, executives and shareholders, potentially destabilising the competition and creating heartache for loyal supporters. Infighting between owners and governing bodies, and between shareholders, are also more likely, as the push for shareholder returns often clash with the broader interests of growing the sport or the club itself.
Hybrid or mixed models, such as that which is adopted by the South Sydney Rabbitohs, attempts to tick both boxes, allowing private ownership and community representation within the same structure
This complexity can also create its own unique problems. In this regard, governance can become cumbersome when multiple parties have competing priorities, resulting in slower decision making and the increased risk of internal tension. Balancing reinvestment with the expectation of profit can be difficult, but not insurmountable, challenges in these structures.
The Restructuring Challenge…
Restructuring an ownership or governance model is rarely easy
As NSOs that have attempted to restructure into unified model would know, vested interests are often the true barrier to effecting lasting change. Factions within clubs or state bodies often resist change if there are concerns around diminished influence or standing, even where reform is in the long-term interests of the game or the club. Any proposal requiring a member vote must therefore be framed around what is best for the sport as a whole, not individual agendas. Further, any restructure requires forward thinking around (among other things) succession and exit issues that are inherent in private models. This necessitates the adoption of a measure twice, cut one approach to corporate governance to reduce risks associated with ownership, Board and employee churn, and improving the attraction factor for sophisticated capital.
Sports as an Asset Class…
One of the biggest shifts we have seen in recent times in Australia is the treatment of sport as an asset class in its own right
It is now somewhat common for PE firms, family offices and asset managers to target sport in the same way that they have historically looked at technology or infrastructure. The attraction lies mostly in ever increasing broadcast revenues (which are being sliced up more than ever to maximise value), global reach, the ever-increasing celebrity and influential profile of athletes, and the scarcity of licences in each given sport.
We have already seen big moves being made in Australia, with Altor Capital’s recent purchase of the Tasmania JackJumpers, Global Sports Fund Management Group’s acquisition of the Sunshine Coast Lightning and 777 Partners’ purchase of a portion of Melbourne Victory, proof that investment groups are willing to take equity positions and back the long term growth of Australian sport.
Celebrities are also getting in on the action, with the recent investment by Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds in the Australian SailGP Team showing how the introduction of celebrity capital can be transformative. These moves mirror global trends, where sport is packaged up as platforms for content, data, sponsorship and community engagement.
Competitions are seeing this shift, and seeking advice on how to remain competitive. For example, Cricket Australia recently received advice from Bain & Company which included a recommendation to privatise the Big Bash League. If adopted, the Big Bash would move into a model similar to The Hundred’s, where a portion of equity in franchise teams is already open to private investors.
The increased attraction raises about as many opportunities as it does risks for clubs and competitions generally. On one hand the injection of capital can facilitate rapid growth via improvements to facilities, technology and fan engagement. On the other, the introduction of sophisticated capital creates pressure on clubs and competitions to improve corporate governance at all levels. This creates the need for great cultural adjustment, which may or may not improve outcomes for the entity involved.
It is Not Change, it is Evolution
Ownership models, just like corporate structures, should not be treated as fixed. In this regard, a commission/league owned structure may be fit for purpose at inception to provide greater controls around governance and commercial outcomes. As the product improves and the competition stabilises, an assessment as to whether the model remains fit for purpose in light of the entity’s evolving objectives.
The risk of privatisation is very real, and it can, if not managed appropriately, create great off-field distractions
We have seen privately owned clubs collapse or sold under financial strain rather consistently in the past, which disrupts competitions and alienates supporters. To protect against this, strong governance frameworks which involve diverse boards, proper Constitutions, strict reporting requirements and a paramount common objective of improving the relevant club or competition for the benefit of all are essential.
Moving Forward
Australia’s sports face an increasingly crowded global market for attention and investment.
Those who can balance tradition with innovation, harnessing private capital without losing sight of governance and community, will gain the edge. Antiquated models restricted by their own design risk falling behind.
The lesson here is that ownership is not about one model being superior. It is about choosing the right model for the stage of a sport’s journey and adapting as the game grows.
2XU - Global CRM Manager
adidas - Director Merchandising Pacific
adidas - Executive, Field Key Accounts
adidas - Senior Manager, Category Management (Originals) Pacific
adidas - Senior Manager, Digital Activation
Amer Sports - Digital Marketing Executive
Amer Sports - Head of Marketing
Asian Football Confederation LOC - Campaign Manager
Asian Football Confederation LOC - Media and Communications Manager
Australian Athletics - Head of Media & Communications (Parental Leave Cover)
Australian Sports Foundation - Chief Executive Officer
AusTriathlon - Marketing Manager
Auto & General Australia - Senior Manager Sponsorships
Auto & General Australia - Sponsorship Manager
BasketballWA - Head of Media and Communications
Beiersdorf - Sport Sales & Marketing Administrator
Bowls Australia - Chief Commercial Officer
Brisbane Broncos - Communications Executive - Community Programs
Budgy Smuggler - Partnerships - Athletes, Influencers and Affiliates
Carlton FC - Commercial Business Connector
Central Coast Mariners FC - Partnerships Manager
Cronulla Sharks - Community Engagement Lead
Dabble - Commercial Analyst
Fanatics - Retail Events Manager
Football Australia - International Project Coordinator
Football Tasmania - Social Media and Digital Marketing Specialist
Flinders University - Associate Professor in Sports Management
Foxtel Group - PR Manager - Sport
Gemba - Creative
GWS GIANTS - Media & Content Coordinator - Netball Lead
Hawthorn FC - Digital Commercial Lead
Hopeful Monsters - Communications Manager, APAC
Hudl - Solutions Consultant
Interplay Media - Digital Sales Manager - Sport, Gaming & Entertainment Media
IRONMAN Oceania - Marketing Coordinator
JD Sports Australia & New Zealand - Senior Digital Trade Manager
Lacrosse Australia - Chief Executive Officer
lululemon - Manager, Digital Marketing, AUNZ | 13 Months Contract
M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment - PR & Influencer Account Director
Melbourne FC - Key Account Manager
McDonald’s - National Media and Sponsorships Manager
McGrath Foundation - Corporate Partnerships Manager
Moshtix - Business Development Manager - Events, Attractions & Sport
Netball Australia - Digital Support
Netball Australia - Schools Engagement Manager (12 month fixed-term)
Netball QLD - Partnerships Lead
Netball QLD - Growth Officer
Netball Victoria - General Manager – Marketing and Digital
NSW Institute of Sport - Chief Executive Officer
NSW Office of Sport - Events Officer
North Melbourne FC - Digital Marketing Lead
NT Government - Sports Engagement Officer
Octagon - Event Manager (Fixed-Term Contract)
Panthers Rugby League - Digital Content Coordinator
Panthers Rugby League - Digital Content Producer
Perth Bears - Head of Marketing
Perth Bears - Head of Partnerships & Sales
PUMA - Key Account Manager
Queensland Cricket - General Manager Community Cricket and Infrastructure
RACV - Golf & Sports Sales Manager
Rebel Sport - Store Development Project Manager
Reebok - Marketing Manager
Southern Cross Austereo - Sport Implementation Coordinator
Sports Entertainment Network - Commercial Manager
Sportsbet - Head of Product - Trading
Sportsbet - Events Specialist
Sports Entertainment Network - Corporate Ticketing Manager
Sports Entertainment Network - Partnership Manager
Swinburne University of Technology - Lecturer, Sport Management
Tabcorp - General Manager Marketing
Tasmania FC - Corporate Development Manager
Tennis Australia - Event Operations Coordinator – UC Sydney
Tennis Australia - Event Operations Coordinator - Perth
Tennis Australia - Philanthropy and Fundraising Manager
Tennis Australia - Systems Manager - Events
THE ICONIC - Head of Sports
The West Australian - Sports Sales Executive
Two Circles - Sponsorship Sales Lead
Two Circles - Sponsorship Sales Manager
Venues NSW - Commercial - Commercial Partnerships Manager
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VenuesWest - Chief Executive Officer
WNBL - Commercial Manager
World Rugby - Consumer Ticketing Lead (Men’s RWC 2027)
World Rugby - Marketing & Brand Lead
World Surf League - Events Operations Manager
World Surf League - Partnerships 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.