Report: Australian SVODs Spend Big on Live Sports

Australian SVOD spending on sports is uncharacteristically high, according to new data from Ampere Analysis, with a variety of local streaming services owning exclusive sports rights and several international streamers investing in the genre.

Last year, Australia-based SVODs dedicated 21 percent of their overall content expenditure to live sports. This compares to the U.K. at 2.6 percent and Canada at 1.5 percent. In the U.S., 4.3 percent of U.S.A.-based SVOD expenditure was allocated to the genre in 2023

Local Australian SVODs have acquired the rights to a variety of foreign competitions. Stan Sport broadcasts the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, as well as the Six Nations. Optus Sport has the rights to the Premier League, J League and Women’s Super League.

Due to time-zone differences, out-of-market events are not broadcast in prime time. Therefore, they are less suitable for live or linear distribution and consumed via catch-up.

International events can appeal to Australia’s large migrant population. According to census data, 31 percent of Australia’s population was born overseas, with almost one million people claiming to have been born in England (3.6 percent)

It’s not just local Australian services investing in sports content. Paramount+ will show A-League soccer until 2026, DAZN has the rights to Matchroom Boxing events until 2026, and NFL Game Pass International until 2033. Amazon Prime Video will stream the 2026 T20 World Cup and 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup.

Streamers’ ability to invest in expensive sports rights also reflects a strong SVOD market. According to Ampere, Australia has the third highest level of SVOD penetration globally, with an average of 3.2 OTT subscriptions per OTT home. Only the U.S. and Norway have a higher average.

This is compounded by a relatively weak pay-TV sector, which was prevented from operating in Australia until 1995 due to government regulation.

Strict anti-siphoning laws, which guarantee free-to-air networks first refusal for certain premium content—including various protected sporting events—have strengthened the position of the FTA broadcasters at the expense of pay TV.

Traditionally, these laws were intended to prevent pay-TV operators like Foxtel from securing exclusive broadcasting rights to key events. However, in 2024, the framework for this regulation was adjusted to also incorporate streaming services.

Despite the changes, it will be possible for streamers to acquire exclusive digital rights to a protected event, as long as the event is available for free on a linear broadcast.

The adjustments to the framework may have a limited impact on SVOD’s short-term sports strategy as these services are typically more heavily invested in out-of-market rights than protected events.

Ed Ludlow, senior analyst at Ampere Analysis, said: “Historically, issues such as latency and entrenched relationships between pay TV services and sports leagues restricted the adoption of live sport by online players. However, in Australia, sports streamers have capitalized on a relatively weak pay-TV sector and by acquiring popular out-of-market events that are often more easily consumed online than through traditional linear broadcasting.”