The Isuzu UTE A-League Men and Liberty A-League Women have officially launched their 2023-24 seasons with a star-studded lineup headlined by just some of the Subway Socceroos and CommBank Matildas who will grace the competitions this year.
To take the A-League stars back to their roots, players from local clubs including Ashfield Pirates and Pagewood Botany FC took part in a kick with their heroes at the event in Sydney, which was hosted by Paramount ANZ’s Tara Rushton and Tristan MacManus and attended by a host of former players, media, partners, government and club officials.
New Australian Professional Leagues Chair Stephen Conroy joined the event, saying:
“If there was ever a question about Australia and New Zealand being footballing nations, that question has been firmly answered over the last 12-months with the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and also back in November in with the FIFA Men’s World Cup in Qatar. We united around our homegrown heroes and international stars, and now we are seeing so many of those incredible players on our A-Leagues pitches every week.
“The A-Leagues is where all of those players were made, and many still play, and we will see more of that talent break through, building on the record transfer fees achieved by the A-Leagues last season.”
KEEPUP Studios, APL’s digital arm, also announced the return of two of their innovative original content series. ‘A-Leagues All Access’ returns with a brand new format to tell the best stories from across the A-Leagues competitions week in, week out, available each Thursday night on aleagues.com.au. Niav Owens and Teo Pellizzeri together with a rotation of pundits will also return for a brand new series of ‘Dub Zone’ to drive the conversation around the Liberty A-League Women every Sunday, 8.30pm AEDT on KEEPUP’s YouTube and available live on 10 Play.
A-Leagues Commissioner Nick Garcia said:
“We couldn’t be more excited about this season, with more teams, more players and more action from some of Australia and New Zealand’s best talent. We are immensely proud that so many Socceroos and Matildas were developed in the A-Leagues, and we’ve already seen there’s a fresh wave of talent aiming to follow in those footsteps through starring in stadiums up and down the country over the coming weeks and months.
“After the excitement of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, more than 22,000 children and teenagers have signed up for our Liberty A-League pass, eight clubs have broken their women’s membership records and we’re expecting brilliant crowds across both A-Leagues in season 2023-24.
“Whether through the new aleagues.com.au website, our fan representative group, or enhancements to the broadcast, we are also focused on bringing fans closer to the game and creating the best possible fan experiences.
“We are also welcoming a number of new partners as domestic and international interest in the A-Leagues continues to develop.”
The Liberty A-League Women kicks off this weekend with a standalone celebration of women’s football. Every Liberty A-League Women’s match will be made available live and free on 10 Play, and live on Paramount+.
The Isuzu UTE A-League Men then start their season the following weekend. Each weekend the top Isuzu UTE A-League Men matches will be broadcast live and free on 10 Bold and 10 Play every Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, ad-break free, whistle to whistle, with all matches live on Paramount+.
Fans can also watch every Liberty A-League Women’s and Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s match live on Sky Sport in New Zealand.
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Commenting on the season ahead, Koichiro Yoshida, Deputy Managing Director of Isuzu UTE Australia said: “We are looking forward to another season of brilliant A-Leagues football. We have never been prouder of our association with Australian football as we enter our third year as naming rights partner of the Isuzu UTE A-League Men and major & automotive partner of Liberty A-League Women. Isuzu UTE is a passionate supporter of the growth of football in Australia and we look forward to seeing more incredible young talent on the pitch and excitement from the fans in the stands.”
James Boyle CEO of Liberty Financial said:
“Hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup was such an exciting festival for Australia and a brilliant showcase of skill and talent. It’s terrific because women’s football is rapidly increasing in popularity and receiving the recognition the players and league deserve. Off the back of such an exciting winter, we remain proudly committed to helping drive the growth of the Liberty A League and women’s football in Australia and New Zealand.”
