Stan Sport Subscribers Fall as Nine Makes $810 Million Premier League Bet

Stan Sport has lost around 10 per cent of its subscribers over the past year as parent company Nine Entertainment prepares to make one of its biggest bets yet on premium sports streaming.

The Australian streaming service’s sports subscriber base has fallen from around 800,000 to 730,000, according to figures reported Monday, (via The Australian)while Stan’s broader subscription base has also declined from approximately 2.5 million to 2.3 million.

The numbers arrive as Nine commits $810 million to retaining Australian broadcast rights to the English Premier League through the 2033-34 season.

The six-year agreement works out to approximately $135 million annually, a significant increase on the roughly $60 million Nine currently pays each year as part of its existing arrangement.

Despite the decline in subscriber numbers, Nine is betting that the world’s most-watched domestic football competition can remain a major driver for Stan Sport over the long term.

The company has argued that Premier League subscribers are particularly engaged customers who can also be introduced to Stan’s broader entertainment offering.

The investment comes at an increasingly competitive moment for Australia’s streaming industry, where platforms are balancing the cost of premium programming and sports rights against the challenge of attracting and retaining subscribers.

Stan launched its dedicated sports service in 2021 and has since assembled a portfolio spanning rugby, tennis, motorsport and football.

The Premier League became a particularly significant addition after Nine struck an agreement with Optus to bring the competition to Stan Sport.

Nine’s decision to secure the competition for another six years means the Premier League will remain a cornerstone of the service well into the next decade.

The new deal has nevertheless attracted scrutiny over its price, particularly as Stan Sport’s subscriber base contracts.

Stan’s overall revenue has continued to grow despite the decline in subscriptions, supported by increases in average revenue per user.

For Nine, the question will now be whether securing one of world sport’s most valuable properties can reverse the subscriber slide — and justify an $810 million commitment at a time when Australia’s streaming market is becoming increasingly difficult to grow.

The new Premier League rights agreement will run through the 2033-34 season.