Astro renews AFC media rights until 2029
Astro has renewed its Malaysian media rights partnership with the AFC until the end of the 2028–29 season, securing a broad portfolio of national-team and club competitions across its television and streaming platforms.
Astro has extended its agreement as the Asian Football Confederation’s official media partner in Malaysia, retaining a substantial package of national-team, women’s, youth and club football rights until 2028–29.The renewed deal includes the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027, alongside the final round of Asian qualifying for the women’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Financial terms were not disclosed.AFC general secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John said: “Astro has been a fantastic partner in growing the footprint of the Asian game in Malaysia, and we are confident they will continue to deliver captivating, multi-platform viewing experiences for Asia’s premier football tournaments.“Renewing our long-standing alliance with Astro reflects our shared vision of bringing the continent’s world-class AFC competitions closer to fans and we look forward to working hand-in-hand with Astro to deepen football engagement and showcase the incredible talent across Asia’s national team and club tournament.”Astro will also retain rights to every match in the AFC Champions League Elite, AFC Champions League Two and AFC Women’s Champions League between 2026 and the end of the 2028–29 campaign.Coverage will be distributed across Astro Arena, Astro Football, Astro GO, the NJOI prepaid service and streaming platform Sooka.The multi-platform structure gives the AFC a combination of subscription television, streaming and prepaid distribution in one of Southeast Asia’s largest football markets.It also provides Astro with year-round live inventory rather than reliance on short national-team tournament windows, supporting subscriber acquisition and retention across several seasons.Astro head of sports Nicholas John said: “Our renewed partnership with the AFC underscores Astro’s commitment to bringing Malaysian fans closer to the very best of Asian football.“From the AFC Asian Cup to the region’s top-tier club competitions, we are proud to continue delivering every defining moment, live and across multiple platforms, to fans nationwide.”The agreement builds on a three-year partnership dating from 2023, which covered the AFC Asian Qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the confederation’s club competitions.Malaysia is also home to the AFC’s headquarters, giving the rights relationship additional institutional relevance as the governing body seeks to deepen engagement in its domestic market.The inclusion of the AFC Women’s Champions League and Olympic qualifying supports greater visibility for women’s football, although audience development will depend on scheduling, promotion and the accessibility of coverage.Astro will now use the package to strengthen its sports proposition while the AFC gains distribution certainty in Malaysia across its principal competitions until the end of the 2028–29 season.