Why Optus said YES to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™: a Cultural Moment We Wanted to Elevate

When Optus made its successful bid to become the official broadcaster of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ two years ago, it wasn’t just about driving viewership or boosting subscriptions – it was about something much bigger than Optus and Optus Sport.

It was about continuing to invest in women’s football because it deserves to be championed and treated the same as men’s football. Committed to being that champion, Optus was the only place to watch all games for the FIFA Women’s Cup 2019™ from France, the first broadcaster to stream all Women’s Super League games from the UK and also the first broadcaster to acquire and show the UEFA Women’s Euro Championships last year.

It was about being part of a cultural moment here on home soil. A moment on the same level as Sydney 2000 that will generate an excitement that would ripple across the whole nation and across the Tasman.

It was about being part of chance to share something uniquely Australian on a global scale – our love of football, our passion, our celebratory spirit.

These reasons are also why it was important to Optus that we partnered with the Seven Network, which operates Channel Seven and 7plus, on the free to air broadcasting and streaming rights.

By joining forces with Seven, we are ensuring that the 15 major games, including all Matildas matches,  both semi-finals and the final will be available to all Australians to watch for free. In addition, we will be making an additional 11 games free through Optus Sport. The team will be working hard to deliver hundreds of clips, goals, and other coverage across our social media channels and free on the Optus Sport app because we understand how important this moment is.

Optus has a long-standing, strong relationship with FIFA. Optus Sport has been a licensed broadcaster of the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017™, the FIFA Men’s World Cup 2018™, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019™, and the FIFA Club World Cup 2019™ and 2020.

With each tournament, we’ve been committed to delivering the best possible football experience – whether it be through improved live streaming, or innovative features such as the mini-match, mega matches, extensive highlights, our no spoiler options, and more.

But with the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ being played here in Australia and New Zealand, the anticipation and excitement is even greater. We won’t be setting our alarms for 2am or watching alone as these matches will be in primetime. You will be able to walk into hundreds of pubs, clubs and other venues after work or during your lunch to catch all the action. You can get the family together to watch at home and you will be able to take the friends and family to a FIFA Fan zone or one of the many live sites currently being organised by local councils across the nation. You won’t miss a moment.

Years ago, we knew this was a cultural moment we had to say yes to. And now just days away, we cannot wait for it to begin.