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Game on: Optus seals domestic deal for Korean league days before kick-off
By Vince Rugari
Optus Sport has secured domestic broadcast rights to the K League, ensuring Australians will be able to watch one of the first football competitions in the world to return amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The South Korean top flight begins on Friday night, with Optus moving quickly to secure a deal to show two live games a week on the telco's sports streaming platform - making it the only Australian broadcaster with live football.
Suwon Samsung Bluewings pair Adam Taggart (left) and Terry Antonis will be part of the first match of the K League season, which will be broadcast in Australia on Optus Sport.Credit: Suwon Samsung Bluewings
The first match involves two Socceroos, Adam Taggart and Terry Antonis, whose Suwon Samsung Bluewings outfit face reigning champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors at 8pm (AEST).
"I know I’m not the only one who’s been staring longingly out the window waiting for live sport to return, so to bring the K League to viewers in such a friendly time zone from this weekend is something we’re really excited about," said Richard Bayliss, Optus director of sport.
"In light of COVID-19, we have faith in South Korea’s capability to start the K League while respecting societal requirements to keep players and the wider community safe."
While the pandemic has caused huge financial issues for most broadcasters, it has barely put a dent in Optus' viewership. The telco reported just a 0.5 per cent retraction to 820,000 activated subscriptions between the start of March and the end of April.
The agreement continues the expansion of Optus' suite of football offerings, headlined by the English Premier League. It is the telco's second move into the Asian football market, having also acquired the rights for Japan's J.League this year - which, like the K League, has a distinctly Australian flavour due to the presence of coaches Ange Postecoglou (Yokohama F. Marinos) and Peter Cklamovski (Shimizu S-Pulse).
It will also do little to quell fervent speculation among football fans that Optus could become a potential home for the A-League. Optus has become a significant voice in Australian football during the COVID-19 shutdown, streaming two 'State of Football' specials in which former Socceroos and Matildas discussed the sport's shortcomings and criticised the administrators responsible.
Optus has never revealed an interest in broadcasting the A-League, but there is a belief that such ventures - and other documentary-style features on the domestic game - could point to a future bid if Fox Sports, the A-League's current rights holders, walks away.
Aside from Taggart and Antonis, there are three other Australians playing in Korea - former Sydney FC star Brandon O'Neill (Pohang Steelers), Socceroos defender Jason Davidson (Ulsan Hyundai) and ex-Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers midfielder Rashid Mahazi (Incheon United).
There have been more than 10,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in South Korea, but the growth rate has slowed significantly over the past few months, allowing for the resumption of sport - albeit without crowds. The country's baseball competition, the KBO League, began on Tuesday night.
Friday night's match will also be shown free on YouTube and Twitter worldwide as part of a one-off promotion by the K League.