During the 2018 FIFA World Cup Optus scored the worst own goal in its history. After investing over A$100m in the streaming broadcast rights in Australia, Optus, the 2nd largest telecom company was shooting to become Australia’s ‘home of football’.

Ten minutes into the first game, technology failed. Football fans couldn’t watch their teams play. We were named and shamed by the media, the prime minister, and the fans.

We handed over broadcast rights to a free-to-air competitor, and apologised to the nation.

With the imminent kickoff of The Premier League, Optus Sport faced the near impossible task to re-earn fans’ trust in order to drive subscriptions.

The challenge had become emotional, it wasn’t enough to say we had fixed the problem; we had to prove to the fans that we were there for them, that we shared their passion, that we were Australia’s true ‘home of football’.

Following Premier League football from down under is tough; rather than being a community experience, you are completely isolated. A 4:30pm kick-off in Manchester means a 1:30am wake-up in Melbourne. After the match, there’s no chat, no comradery, just another cup of instant coffee.

If the measure of a fan is how far they go for their team; then there’s no fan quite like an Aussie Premier League fan.

Why do they do it?

Because Football.

It’s more than other sporting codes. It’s more than a game. It’s empire battling empire. Hero versus hero. It’s genuinely indescribable. But only the true fans know that.

Our only option was to be brave. We had to show that despite our misstep, we really are about the fans.

So we celebrated them on the global stage.

Taking our seat in the terraces alongside fans to celebrate the game we all love would re-earn their trust.

We created ‘Because Football’.

A suite of content that surfaces and celebrates the most dedicated Premier League fans, whatever their team. This was all about uncovering and celebrating the fanatics. The fans who love the game, more than anything else.

We knew there was a wealth of rich, compelling - and until now untold - stories hidden within this absorbing, unique subculture. We’d find these stories and tell them for the first time. We set about discovering and celebrating the most dedicated fans in the world.

Working with MUNDIAL, arguably the world’s most credible football publication, Optus Sport created a suite of stories exploring the obsession and commitment of Australian fans from all 20 Premier League teams. From a feature length documentary, to 6 second bumpers, to beautiful street posters, we built a campaign eco-system that allowed us to be relevant to every fan, every occasion and every game.

We matched fans with content from the clubs they love and, were likely to hate. Celebrating the fans that make the game great and engaging them with stories that resonate.

On top of this, we dynamically inserted information about upcoming matches to create immediacy of sign-up and actively drive “in the moment” viewership.

Investment was flexible to allow us to follow interest in the league as it spiked; targeting derby matches, teams on a good run and relegation scares.

By taking our place in the terraces we won trust, got tens of thousands of fans paying to watch the greatest game in the world with us, solidifying Optus Sport as the home of football in Australia.

For season kickoff, over 70% of all Aussie Premier League fans were exposed with over 1 million views of long form content before the whistle.

Resulting in the opening match breaking the previous Premier League streaming records by 49%; over double the combined audience of the three main live TV channels during the same time period.

The business results speak for themselves:

• Optus Sport subscriptions grew 60% YOY

• Cost per subscription reduced by 92% YOY (from A$118 to A$9.20)

• Number of weekly viewers grew 120% YOY

And in football terms, from the jaws of defeat we feel we snatched a damn good victory.