Hockey Australia is excited to announce a landmark new partnership with the Seven Network, which will see the best of Australian hockey broadcast live and free on Channel 7 and 7plus.
The multi-year partnership means fans across Australia can now watch all internationally sanctioned matches played by Australia’s iconic national teams, the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos, and every match of the Hockey One League from 2023, on 7plus.
The first international matches to be shown on 7plus as part of the new agreement will be the highly anticipated Oceania Cup, which sees the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras take on their New Zealand counterparts to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The event takes place from 10-13 August in Whangarei New Zealand.
Coming into its third season, this year’s Hockey One League hits off in early October. Featuring seven franchises with women’s and men’s teams going head-to-head in double header match days, the Hockey One League showcases Australia’s best hockey talent in a world class domestic league. With spots in the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras squads for an Olympic year on the line, this year’s Hockey One League is not to be missed.
Hockey Australia CEO David Pryles said the new broadcasting deal is a game changer for the sport.
“This is an exciting and significant day for hockey in Australia. The agreement with the Seven Network will allow more people to see the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras live in action on the world stage in the lead up to the Olympics next year,” Pryles said.
“We’re also looking forward to bringing the Hockey One League to a larger audience and more Australian screens than ever before.
“Australians love their sport and this is a great opportunity for them to support their local hockey team and witness some of the best the game has to offer across Australia, live and free.
“The partnership is part of our ambition to increase the opportunities for everyone in Australia to enjoy the game of hockey anywhere, anytime, as outlined in our whole of sport strategic plan.”
“The Seven Network has an exceptional record and reputation for broadcasting sport and we look forward to working closely with them over the next two years.”
Managing Director Seven Melbourne and Head of Network Sport, Lewis Martin, said:
“Channel 7 viewers have been absorbed by the fast pace, skill and athleticism of elite hockey, most notably when our national teams go for gold at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games.
“This new partnership with Hockey Australia will allow audiences to follow our home-grown stars from the grassroots of the game to the major championships.”
7plus is the Seven Network’s free streaming service, which has an active user base of over 13.5 million. The service is distributed across 20 platforms, including all major Connected TVs, Web, Mobile (iOS & Android) and Casting (Chromecast & Airplay).