Rolando 2016

Soccerex

Fox Sports has picked up a package of live rights to the W-League, the top professional women's division in Australia.

The pay-TV broadcaster will air a W-league and A-League double-header each week next season, selecting one game from the W-League to be shown ahead of a game from the A-League - the top men's soccer division in Australia - every Sunday. The games will be played at the same ground to give the women's game greater exposure.

Last season the W-League was axed from free-to-air broadcaster ABC's scheduling following government budget cuts.

Fox Sports chief executive Patrick Delaney said: "It's a fantastic outcome for women's soccer in Australia and will be the perfect complement to our live Sunday afternoon A-League coverage," he said.

The deal comes on the back of the Fifa Women's World Cup, where the Australian national team, known as the 'Matildas', defeated Brazil in reaching the quarter-finals, where they were beaten 1-0 by Japan.