Following the Socceroos’ spirited attempt at the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup, the Matildas saw record-breaking attendance across the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup hosted here at home.
The game has never felt more visible, but with the two major upcoming tournaments – The AFC Women’s Asian Cup and the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup – the question stands; Can the A-Leagues translate international exposure to domestic success?
Last season saw major growth across viewership and engagement, but holding onto that momentum is the real challenge, especially in a sporting culture dominated by AFL and NRL.
A-League viewership reaches high but still aims higher
The signs of growth were prevalent for the A-Leagues, with television audiences climbing and more fans turning out to matches.
The 24/25 season saw an eleven per cent increase across both the men’s and women’s divisions from the previous season, with more than four million people watching from home and attendance of the men’s games increasing by over 150,000.
Despite these increases, visibility remains one of the league’s biggest hurdles.
While other codes enjoy extensive free-to-air coverage, most men’s A-League matches sit behind Paramount Plus’s paywall – limiting casual access and broader exposure.
Playbookx Communications Director Nick Rynne, said the “media coverage is crucial,” and while it may have been hard to turn down the paramount deal, he doesn’t believe it helped the A-Leagues.
“Given that it was really the only sports product that you would sign up to that platform for, so you weren’t getting in front of anyone who wasn’t already coming to find your product,” he said.
Two out of six Men’s A-League matches across every weekend of the season will be free to air, whilst the other four will require a paid subscription with the streaming service.
While all A-League women’s matches are available on free-to-air on 10 Play. Turning this excitement into long-term loyalty will determine whether the competition can thrive on its own.
For clubs like Perth Glory, who are looking to rebuild after their last couple of seasons, this is especially pressing.
Going for Glory
Perth Glory, once one of the most dominant clubs in the A-Leagues, but since their premiership win in 2019, the club have been on a steep decline, and are now hoping to rebuild their legacy, on the pitch and in the stands.
Last season saw a disappointing season for their A-League men’s, with now two consecutive last place finishes, collecting their second wooden spoon from 17 losses.
Off the back of their 23/34 season and 69 goals conceded, a league-high, Perth Glory had higher hopes for their 24/25 season, after the club faced changes with new owners and new staff.
During the season launch, Perth Glory captain Adam Taggart, declared the club was in a new era and were optimistic about pushing the club forward and being a “surprise package” for the upcoming season.
Taggart said that a top-six finish was the minimum for the club.
“Not finishing in the top six the last [four] seasons, it’s obviously something that needs to be rectified.”
However, with only a 22-goal season, twelve of which were scored by Taggart, the club took home a 13-place finish, not living up to their preseason promises and disappointing fans.
Perth Glory CEO, Anthony Radich, admitted the club has “tremendous scope for improvement”.
When addressing the issue of growing the game, Mr Radich said that for Perth Glory, improving their game could lead to improving their growth.
“We haven’t been successful on the field, however, we feel that if we get a bit of momentum on the field and a bit of success.
“Things like membership, commercial revenue, ticket attendance […] that should all improve,” he said.
Perth Glory’s academy has also been a cornerstone of Glory’s strategy, with promising young talent rising through the ranks.
“The league has come to understand that [youth] development is critical…It’s all about trying to make them more sophisticated and broaden their appeal,” said Mr Radich.
Aussies overseas
For many Australian players, the lure of overseas competition remains strong.
Europe’s top leagues still attract the bulk of Socceroos and Matildas, offering higher salaries, tougher competition and greater visibility.
While this trend leaves the A-leagues without many of the country’s biggest names, it opens the door for homegrown talent and the next generation.
“It’s not so much as trying to bridge that gap, it’s trying to own who you are and what you are,” said Mr Rynne.
“It’s looking [sort of] within and down and saying how can we best fit into Australian sporting circles.”
With the AFC Cup and FIFA Men’s World Cup on the horizon, Australian soccer will once again find itself in the spotlight but sustaining that energy remains the biggest test.
