‘We’re expecting big numbers’: Optus Sport boss counts down to UEFA EURO 2024
The head of Optus Sport has told Mumbrella he is expecting a huge response from Australian football fans when the streamer broadcasts the UEFA EURO 2024 tournament this June.
With 100 days to go, as of Wednesday, to the opening game of host nation Germany vs Scotland on June 15, Optus Sport will broadcast all 51 matches featuring 24 competing countries of the EUROs for the second time after first picking up the tournament in 2020.
Speaking to Mumbrella, Optus Sport head Howard Rees said they are under no illusion of how big the tournament is and what it means to Australian fans.
“We know what these huge international tournaments mean to football fans and how invested they are in them. Currently, the most watched football match in Optus Sport history is the UEFA EURO 2020 final between England and Italy, so we’re expecting big numbers this time around as well,” Rees said.
“We saw the enormous groundswell that engulfed the Matildas and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and we were honoured to deliver every match live to Optus Sport customers; being able to deliver world-class coverage of these events is part of our DNA.
Howard Rees
“We understand football fans, because we are football fans ourselves, and Optus Sport is the place to watch the world’s best football live and on demand.”
As well as the 2024 EUROs and 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Optus Sport has invested in major football leagues and tournaments since 2016, which also includes a long-term deal with the iconic English Premier League (EPL), the Barclay Women’s Super League and Japan’s J1 League.
While the leagues are big on name along, the EPL of course boasts former Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglu heading up Tottenham, while Australian legend Harry Kewell is also the coach of Yokohama F.Marinos in the J1 League.
“We are currently in the middle of one of the most exciting Premier League title races in years, with Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal locked in a titanic three-way fight for the title – it looks like it will go right down to the wire and we’re excited to see the many twists and turns unfold over the coming weeks on Optus Sport,” Rees said.
“In the Barclay’s Women’s Super League, we’re also seeing Chelsea’s recent dominance come under threat from Manchester City and Arsenal, which promises to be a close run to the end of the season as well.
“And of course, the J1 League is one to watch, with Harry Kewell following in Ange Postecoglou and Kevin Muscat’s footsteps as manager of Yokohama F.Marinos.”
The countdown to the 2024 EUROs comes as news breaks that Matildas star and captain Sam Kerr was charged for the alleged racially aggravated harassment of a police officer in London last year.
Kerr was reported to have pled not guilty in a London court this week, and is expected to face trial in February next year.
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Neil Griffiths is the editor of Mumbrella. He joined the company in October 2023.
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