Telstra is a major winner in the recent awarding of the rights to the AFL with the carrier snaring the rights to all games, from the first bounce to the final siren.
Telstra is a major winner in the recent awarding of the rights to the AFL with the carrier snaring the rights to all games,
from the first bounce to the final siren.
The games will be broadcast on T-Box and to mobile phones and tablets connected to the Telstra Next network from 2012.
Under the five year agreement:
All matches including pre-season, home and away, finals and the grand final, as well as the
Brownlow Medal, will be streamed live and exclusive to mobile phones and tablets on the Telstra
Next G network.
All matches including pre-season, home and away, finals and the grand final will be streamed
live to customers who subscribe to Telstra’s FOXTEL on T-Box service which will be launching
shortly. This may also extend to other IPTV-enabled devices connected to Telstra BigPond fixed
broadband services. This includes one match per round that will be made available to Telstra TBox
customers regardless of whether they are subscribed to the FOXTEL on T-Box service.
Telstra T-Box customers can also get access to match replays on demand, as well as other
features like the interactive AFL Game Analyser.
The AFL’s website, AFL.com.au, and all AFL club sites, will continue to be managed by Telstra.
Telstra will further evolve AFL online, mobile and IPTV services as new technologies emerge
giving fans access to new content and increased interactivity.
Telstra will continue to be the AFL’s telecommunications services partner.
Telstra will expand its sponsorship of the AFL to engage with football fans at the grass roots and
match day level.
Telstra CEO David Thodey said bringing live content outside of the lounge-room and into the hands of
AFL fans represented a watershed moment for the T-Box, mobiles and tablets connected to Telstra
networks.
“Australians are hungry for AFL content and we’re delighted that Telstra can bring them even closer
to the competition from next season regardless of what device they want to view the game on,” Mr
Thodey said. “It’s 89 years since the game was first broadcast on radio and Telstra is delighted to be
bringing live AFL to the digital world through Next G mobiles, tablets and the T-Box.
“This agreement represents the coming of age for mobile technology and IPTV. No longer do
Australians need to be tied to the lounge-room to catch Australia’s favourite sporting code live.”
Telstra customers will enjoy unmetered access to games streamed live over the Telstra Next G
network or to the Telstra T-Box. More information on availability and pricing will be provided closer to
the start of the 2012 season.
“Content features when Australians are choosing their service provider and this new agreement with
the AFL is another reason why sports fans should choose Telstra,” Mr Thodey said.
