A-Leagues sign non-bank lender Liberty as naming rights partner for women’s competition
The A-Leagues have signed non-bank lender Liberty, as the naming rights partner of the newly rebranded A-League Women’s competition for the 2021-22 season, which kicks off on Friday, 3 December.
The multi-year deal, commencing today includes naming rights partnership of the A-League Women’s competition, Final Series, and the official lending partner of the A-Leagues. Liberty will also be an official partner of the Isuzu Ute A League, A-League Youth and A-League eSports.
The partnership heralds a new era for the national football competitions, which previously had Hyundai and Westfield as naming rights sponsors for the men’s and women’s competitions.
Announcing the partnership, A-Leagues managing director Danny Townsend stated: “We have seen a significantly expanding interest in women’s football – from grassroots through to the Matildas. By investing in women’s professional football through Liberty A-League, we offer more pathways for emerging players, ensuring our world-class competition is truly sustainable.”
“Through the Liberty A-League we reaffirm our support for women in professional sport,” said Liberty CEO, James Boyle. “We are passionate about helping to provide the platform that women’s football deserves.”
“As a pioneer of financial inclusion, we support those who forge their own path, both on and off the field. The athletes currently playing in the Liberty A-League embody this spirit – they are the trailblazers at the top of their game.”
Liberty’s investment in the women’s competition is the latest milestone in the A-Leagues’ ambitious growth and commercial development strategy.
“This is an exciting and important moment for the game of football in Australia and for the growth of the women’s game in particular,” said Ant Hearne, A-Leagues chief commercial officer. “At A-Leagues we want to see equality and equity across football, including fair access to facilities, coaching, pathways into the game, as well as equal coverage. We know this is a work in progress, but the partnership with Liberty is a great step on the journey.”
The Australian Professional League (APL), which overseas the A-Leagues, also signed a five-year broadcast deal with Ten’s parent company ViacomCBS to broadcast the A-Leagues across its free-to-air channels and also new streaming service Paramount+.
From Friday 3 December, the A-Leagues will unify its Facebook and Instagram channels, combining both the mens and womens leagues.
The APL has also recently launched KeepUp, the digital home of global football in Australia, which will be used as a key tool in expanding the coverage of the Liberty A-League. It also comes just ten months after the APL took over the running of Australia’s elite club competitions.
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Olivia Kruimel is the managing editor at Mumbrella. She has more than 15 years of experience in journalism, communications and marketing. Her journalism career began at Fairfax Media (now part of Nine) and includes various B2B publications such as B&T, Travel Today and ALB. As a marketer Olivia has worked for Standard Chartered and various global law firms.
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