Is Stan considering streaming live sports?

Stan live sports

Stan CEO Mike Sneesby revealed last week at a media disruption lunch panel that the streaming video-on-demand service is examining the possibility of adding live sports to its growing list of content.

While there are no immediate plans to begin streaming sports on the service, Sneesby mentioned that the Nordic streaming service Viaplay already successfully streams live sports alongside film and television content.

Sneesby also stated that there’s “nothing technologically or legally that would prevent us from moving in that direction.”

Stan likes sports, and he don’t care who knows

With Stan being partly-owned Nine Entertainment Co., this could be a good opening for the service to win streaming rights to the sporting events Nine traditionally broadcasts, such as Rugby League, State of Origin, Test Cricket, KFC Twenty20, Australian Swimming Championships, Wimbledon and much more.

There’s also opportunity for the service to make itself the new home of several sports, with broadcast rights negotiations for NRL and AFL currently underway – there’s even word that SBS will be dropping soccer in the near future.

Foxtel CEO Richard Freudenstein did note however, that if Stan were to get into the live sports streaming business, the price model would most certainly have to rise from its current fee of $10 a month.

Stephen Lambrechts
Senior Journalist, Phones and Entertainment

Stephen primarily covers phones and entertainment for TechRadar's Australian team, and has written professionally across the categories of tech, film, television and gaming in both print and online for over a decade. He's obsessed with smartphones, televisions, consoles and gaming PCs, and has a deep-seated desire to consume all forms of media at the highest quality possible. 


He's also likely to talk a person’s ear off at the mere mention of Android, cats, retro sneaker releases, travelling and physical media, such as vinyl and boutique Blu-ray releases. Right now, he's most excited about QD-OLED technology, The Batman and Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga.