The Athletic, a popular subscription sports website, is teaming up with Optus Sport to deliver news and analysis of major football tournaments free to its subscribers in Australia, the Sydney Morning Herald reported Aug. 9.
The deal is an 'ideal' partnership, said Alex Peebles, The Athletics’ commercial director.
"Optus is the ideal partner as we take this significant step in bringing The Athletics' content to more fans around the world," Peebles said. "Australia is one of Earth's "great sporting markets" and has "some the most knowledgeable and avid consumers of media."
The state of football in Australia also presents some exciting opportunities, Peebles said.
"The domestic game is gathering momentum, while internationally, with the FIFA World Cup next year, the AFC Asian Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023, the timing couldn’t be better," he said.
Peebles has been The Athletics' commercial director for about seven months.
Optus has agreed to carry some of The Athletics' football articles and videos without charge on its app's editorial section. The initial year-long deal between the companies could be extended in the future.
The Athletic, which provides ad-free local and national sports coverage in major North American and UK cities, struck the deal as part of its ambition to grow a subscriber base in Australia's market, according to the news story.
Founded in 2016 by two former employees of subscription fitness company Strava, The Athletic specializes in news and analysis of sports in leagues such as the NBA, NFL and English Premier League.
The deal coincides with the ongoing updates of Optus' editorial section.
“Australia has a very unique way of following the Premier League," Optus Sports Director Richard Bayliss said. "It has super passionate fans who have an Australianized view on it so, this gives us the balance to be able to service that need whilst giving the more in-depth and up close aspect from The Athletic."