For over a decade, Telstra’s Live Pass apps were there for every killer kick, big bounce, tremendous try and glorious goal. When we forged a path for live streaming sport on your mobile device way back in 2012, nothing else like it existed at the time. Now in 2022, we’re bringing live AFL streaming back to the AFL app.

Last year, streaming live AFL matches moved from via our Live Pass apps to Kayo – the premium sports streaming service for Aussies. Telstra Plus members can get a discount on Kayo, and it’s the place to find wall-to-wall coverage of all your sporting favourites like the AFL and NRL, Formula 1, Netball and Supercars championships.

Today, we have some even better news – you can now stream live AFL games through Kayo in the AFL app, so you can watch the weekend’s games in the same place as you get all of your news, stats, match replays and highlights.

If you have a current Kayo subscription, you can tap the ‘watch live’ button in your AFL app and after you log in with your Kayo account once, you’ll be able to stream the footy live through your phone in the same place as you check your team’s scores.

Now, there are a couple of caveats – since the AFL app is meant for footy fans on the go, live streaming is only available on mobiles and not tablets. If you’re looking for a bigger screen, we’d recommend kicking back in front of the telly. Streaming through the AFL app also counts against your mobile data allowance these days, but our mobile plans have come a long way since 2012 when we’d barely even launched 4G!

We’ve come a long way since the early days of Live Pass and the start of the AFL Live Official App and NRL Official App. We love the footy in all its codes, we’re proud of our ongoing AFL partnership to 2024, and we’re as pleased as punch to get live AFL streaming back in the AFL app.

For those who have been with us for a while, thank you for helping us drive the revolution of watching live sport on your mobiles. If you’re new, we hope you like what we’ve built over the last decade or so, and we can’t wait to show you more in the future.

After a tough couple of years for Australia’s small businesses, we are giving a few of them a well-deserved plug.

Earlier in March, we kicked off our Telstra Big Plugs for Small Business competition, giving away our ad space during Round 8 of the 2022 Toyota AFL Premiership and Round 9 of the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership.

From comic book stores and pet groomers to driving schools and disability services, 17 small businesses from across Australia will get a big plug at the nation’s biggest football stadiums in a takeover of Telstra’s advertising space.

The winning small businesses will have their business showcased on the big screen, the signage, and even on the broadcast, helping them to reach millions of fans and living rooms. It’s unrivalled exposure and we’re excited that it’s going to a bunch of great people and their businesses.

Now, say hello to our winners

Keep an eye out for them this week at Round 8 of the 2022 Toyota AFL Premiership season, and Round 9 of the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership – or find out more about the incredible work each business does below.

NRL winners

	XtremeCARE Australia Indigenous Disability Services XtremeCARE is a culturally safe and appropriate NDIS service provider, supporting Indigenous people living with a disability.
	Sail Safari Sail Safari offers a variety of experiences from a full ‘learn to sail’ adventure to a relaxed cruise.
	Monster Homes (Aus) Building homes with custom solutions to suit lifestyle and budget.
	BLACK LILY IMAGES A natural light photographer based in Western Sydney, with 15 years of experience capturing connections within families and preserving those moments forever.
	Impact Comics Your favourite place for comics, graphic novels, manga, collectables, and so much more!
	Pontifex Jewellers Your local trustworthy jeweller that has been serving the Sutherland & St George Community for 39 years. We offer a large range of services including Custom jewellery design, remakes and repairs.
	Kensington Kitchens A family business, Kensington Kitchens & Bathrooms has been providing exceptional kitchen and bathroom renovations since 1979.
	Wakehurst Golf Club Wakehurst Golf Club is a challenging par 72 course situated amongst a unique bushland setting overlooking Manly Dam and surrounding districts, allowing an opportunity to escape the activity of everyday life.

AFL winners

	Life in Action: Exercise Physiology The Team of Accredited Exercise Physiologists at Life in Action deliver exercise and physical activity services to clients in the Northwestern suburbs of Melbourne, catering to all ages, needs and abilities, to assist with the prevention, treatment and recovery from musckuloskeletal injuries and illnesses.
	Clean Windows 4 You Excellent Window Cleaning with Exceptional Service.
	Kangaroo Island Fishing Adventures South Australia’s Premier Fishing Charter
	Shep’s School of Driving Shep’s School of Driving provides each student and their family with a safe path to driving and solid foundation of road skills and safety.
	WATERBOY SOLAR PUMPS Waterboy is a Fair Dinkum solar submersible pump that pumps water wherever the sun shines!
	Barunah Plains Weddings, accommodation and corporate functions, Barunah Plains provides exclusive use to create your unique experience.
	Ballarat Cranes Over 25 years of Safe, Reliable Crane Hire & Rigging servicing the Western District.
	Masters Pet Grooming Luxury is the bare minimum; we put the needs of your much-loved dog first.
	Flash Me Photobooths We are a family owned and operated Photobooth hire business, committed to provide an exceptional service for your event and premium Photobooth experience.

Running a small business during the pandemic is like running both halves into the wind. They kept our economy going during the toughest of times, and we’re paying it forward by putting their names up in lights. Here’s who we’re taking to the big game.

The prize

We recently announced that we’d be giving away our ad space during Round 8 of the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership and Round 9 of the 2021 NRL Telstra Premiership – next week’s games. Small businesses who won would have their work showcased in the broadcast, banners, big screens and on the hallowed NRL grass. That sort of exposure costs big bucks, reaching millions of fans and living rooms, and we’re making sure it goes to a good place.

The winners

From a barber shop, an avocado-themed tour bus company, tradies, a children’s clothing label and even a trail riding business, 17 small businesses have won a share of more than $1 million worth of Telstra’s premium advertising including space at next week’s AFL and NRL games across the country.  

The 17 successful businesses are:  

NRL

	Ace of Blade Barber Shop (Wynnum, QLD) – Rabbitohs v. Storm
	Brite Spark Electrical Services (Sydney, NSW) – Eels v. Roosters
	West Words (Sydney, NSW) – Panthers v. Sharks
	Holbrook Bakery (Holbrook, NSW) – Raiders v. Knights
	Unico Kitchens (Sydney, NSW) – Tigers v. Titans
	Muscle Mat (QLD) – Cowboys v. Broncos
	EME Roofing (Sydney, NSW) – Dragons v. Bulldogs
	Vegepod (Sydney, NSW) – Sea Eagles v. Warriors

AFL

	Animal Land (Diggers Rest, VIC) – Richmond v. Geelong
	Chum Creek Horse Riding & Huts (Chum Creek, VIC) – Melbourne v. Sydney
	The Little Veggie Patch Co. (Melbourne, VIC) – North Melbourne v. Collingwood
	Just Shear (Yorke Peninsula, SA) – Suns v. St Kilda
	TradiePad (Sydney, NSW) – Giants v. Essendon
	Goldie + Ace (Melbourne, VIC) – Crows v. Port Adelaide
	New Style Painting Service (Perth, WA) – Fremantle v. Brisbane Lions
	The Avocado Bus & Mine Movers (Perth, WA) -Hawthorn v. West Coast

We’ll also be highlighting around 50 other small businesses through our retail stores and on our website to extend our support even further.

These businesses deserve a big plug after an incredibly tough 12 months, and I’m thrilled we can put their names up in lights and showcase them to potential new customers.

Supporting small business with free consultations

I’d like to thank everyone who entered. Everyone who did register interest for one of our new Telstra Business Go Digital Consults, which is still available to Aussie small businesses for free (normally valued at $149 each) for the rest of the year.

A Telstra Small Business Expert will do an over the phone review of how digital your business is, and provide a tailored report and roadmap for you to ‘Go Digital’ including recommendations in the following areas:

• Get connected – helping ensure you’re set up for success with the right tools, devices and connectivity to get and stay online.

• Engage online – advising on how to engage with customers online (website, social media, search engines, etc.), digital marketing to help boost your online presence, and tracking/managing existing customer relationships.
• Help stay secure and supported – making sure you have the right tools to reduce the threat of viruses and malware to your business devices and data – plus access to ongoing support.
• Business Software – offering insights into solutions including tech services, accounting software, security software, CRM software, and more to suit your business.

Our extensive partner network has also come to the party to support SMBs, with the Telstra Business Go Digital Consult unlocking a host of exclusive offers from Small Business Australia, Samsung, Cisco, Spotzer, Facebook and Microsoft.

We’ve also developed an interactive online Go Digital Tool, to help businesses self-assess their digital readiness and receive recommendations.

Congratulations to our winners. We’ll see you on the field.

Other winners

Threesides Marketing; Your Happy Feet Podiatry; Active and Ageless; Deja Vu Emporium; Designed Learning; Examiner Driving School; Flexigen; Hunt Hospitality; Print Storm; RISING KINGS; The Girls & Boys Brigade; The Home Hub Trader; AHR (Alison Hucks Resources); Quality Living and Support Services; Rounding Up; Style Sensation; The Cage Youth Foundation; The Wholesome Gift Box; Sweep Scrub; Blues Glass Shower Screens; Tasmanian Oyster Company; Blind Citizens Australia; Captains Cove; Coad88 Evac Plan; Footscray Community Arts Centre; GM Sound Studios; Marbled Meats; Pickers Retro Haven; Sheen Panel Service; Sign Obsession; SMAART Recruitment; Social Outcome Solutions; Springhill Farm; Stix and Flora; Stopline; Stuck on Stationery; SWiM Communications; The Fitter; The Food Purveyor; The Gifting Guild; The Graffiti Eaters; The Studio Yarra Valley; Wash & Lather Soap Co; Wide Awake Wellness; Active Wellness Spa; Diamond Fitness; Macoda Mattress; Mine Movers

After a difficult season in 2020, the NRL is back and bigger than ever. It’s our 20th year partnering with the NRL, and there are new ways to watch your favourite teams at home with us.

This year’s NRL season will feature a full 25 rounds after the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted last year’s schedule. Kicking off on Thursday, March 11, we’ll see matches played away and at home, including in New Zealand.

Unlike other codes, the NRL has laid out its entire season as part of the draw, with eight games a week to keep you locked to the box.

We even get a three-match State of Origin series for 2021, which is set to be another nail biter. The season builds to a thrilling crescendo on October 3, with the grand final.

20 years on, and closer to the action than ever

We’ve been partners with the NRL for 20 years now. That’s 20 years of thrilling moments that have unfolded before our eyes. Moments that make NRL simply the best.

The NRL was first telecast in 1961 between Balmain and Norths. Half a match was televised each weekend as a trial. Since then, we’ve watched sports broadcasting and technology take a quantum leap.

Games are now broadcast in glorious high definition, with technology injected all over the field to bring you the action from every angle.

Our partnership with the NRL has also introduced new technology to the game, including the Telstra Tracker. The Telstra Tracker combines technology and sport to bring fans closer to the game with live player insights. It tracks including player speed, intensity and ground coverage.

The evolution of technology gives every viewer the best seat in the house when it comes to the 2021 NRL season. And we’ve got new and exciting ways to watch the games in store, too.

How to watch NRL games live in 2021

Earlier in the year, we announced that we’d be changing the way you enjoy NRL games with us.

Update, 1 June 2021: Our exclusive $5/mth for 12 months Kayo Basic offer for eligible AFL and NRL live pass customers has expired as of 31 May 2021.

For those who missed out, you can still save $10/mth on Kayo for 12 months. That’s for either $15/mth for Kayo Basic or $25/mth for Kayo Premium for 12 months for Telstra consumer customers, new and returning to Kayo.

After 12 months you’ll roll onto standard subscription fees (currently $25/mth for Kayo Basic & $35/mth for Kayo Premium). Redeem by 31 May 2022.

Kayo also takes sports streaming to another level offering multiple sports on multiple screens at once. With features like SplitView on selected devices, you can watch up to four events at once so you don’t miss a minute, even when scheduling conflicts happen for those big games.

The NRL Official App, powered by Telstra, remains the digital home of all the other features NRL fans know and love, including the latest news, full match replays, live scores, stats, highlights and more. 

Getting you to the game with Telstra Plus

The new fixture puts home teams back in front of home crowds once again. In some instances, for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

Getting into the action on your couch is good, but nothing comes close to being in the stands with fellow fans to cheer on your favourite team.

Our loyalty program, Telstra Plus, gets you access to discounts on tickets for NRL games, and a range of other benefits. You can sign up on our website.

We’re also working hard with our partners at the AFL to bring the live sporting experience of the future to places like Marvel Stadium and the MCG.

We can’t wait for the first whistle of the season to sound, as we kick off another awesome year of footy.

Things you need to know

Redeem by 31 May 2021. Must sign up via Telstra. Cancel anytime, roll onto standard fees after 12 months. To be eligible, customers must have redeemed a Telstra NRL Live Pass service prior to 22 Dec 2020 and maintain that active Telstra service used to redeem it.

From the Cowboys finally winning a championship in 2015, to the Rabbitohs breaking their drought in 2014 and Manly’s 40-0 thrashing of Melbourne in 2008, it’s been a huge couple of decades of footy, and we’re so proud that we’ve been there through all of it.

When our partnership first began, the ability to stream sport on mobile devices was still over a decade away. Together with the NRL, we used technology and innovation to make this vision a reality to bring fans even closer to the game they love, in more places on our network.

We are continually pushing to improve this experience and recently announced an exclusive offer for eligible Telstra customers who’ve previously used NRL Live Pass to receive $20/month off Kayo’s Basic subscription for 12 months, meaning they can enjoy the footy – and about 50 other sports – from their mobile device and almost any screen in their home for just $5/month.

And it doesn’t end there – to celebrate our 20 year anniversary, we’ll also be rewarding fans who are Telstra Plus members with access to discounted NRL tickets this season.

A big 20 years

The world has changed a lot in the past 20 years, and so has Telstra and the NRL. With so many big moments emerging from the game, we thought we’d take a look at some of our favourite highlights from over the years.

2001 – Newcastle Knights win first ever Telstra Premiership.

At the time, the 2001 NRL Grand Final between the Newcastle Knights and Paramatta Eels was the 3rd highest attended NRL game of all time, with over 90,000 fans packing into Sydney to see who would win the first ever Telstra Premiership. The Knights ended up taking it out, in a 30-24 nail biter, where the Eels pulled in a massive second half after falling behind 24-0 at half time. After converting 5 from 7 goals, and helping set up some big tries, Andrew Johns won the Clive Churchill medal

2007 – Gold Coast Titans enter the league, where Telstra would later launch its 5G Innovation Centre.

The Gold Coast Titans were awarded their license for the NRL in 2004, after a lengthy bid process where the odds were stacked against those pushing for the return of elite level football in the Gold Coast region. Just 5 years later, after 3 seasons, they made the NRL finals – a true feat for such a young club! The region is also a special place for Telstra, where in 2018 we launched our 5G Innovation Centre in the Gold Coast to lay the groundwork for the future of connectivity.

2008 – NRL Celebrate its Centenary of League, the same year the iPhone is introduced to Australia

The biggest celebration of the NRL since rugby league first came to Australia, also marked the year that Apple’s iPhone launched in Australia, completely changing how we communicate, work and play and creating an explosion in the phone market.

For the NRL, this Centenary premiership was won by the Manly Sea Eagles who crushed the Melbourne Storm 40-0.

The original iPhone 3G that launched in Australia had a 3.5-inch touchscreen, 2.0 megapixel camera and most importantly was the first iPhone with Apple’s App Store. We’re now up to the iPhone 12, which is just as powerful as your laptop, has 4 different cameras across it and probably houses every bit of important information to you in the world.

2014 – Fans can stream matches on their mobile for first time with NRL Live Pass

In a huge moment for Australian sport, Telstra and the NRL launched NRL Live Pass in the NRL Official App, offering Telstra customers free streaming on their compatible mobile devices for every game of the NRL season. For the first time, it didn’t matter if you were having a picnic with friends, at the beach or having a relaxing bath – as long as you had an internet connection you could watch the footy.

Today, our Live Pass offering has evolved into our expanded partnership with Kayo, which gives fans the ability to stream the NRL – and 50+ domestic and international sports – on just about any device you can think of, wherever you are.

The NRL Official App, powered by Telstra, remains the digital home of all the other features NRL fans know and love, including the latest news, full match replays, live scores, stats, highlights and more.

2020 – Our partnership expands to include the NRL Telstra Women’s Premiership

As a long-time partner of the NRL, we support every effort to make the game as inclusive and diverse as possible, and to provide a platform for aspiring female athletes to realise their dream.

In 2020 we announced our commitment to provide greater opportunities, exposure and investment into the programs currently in place for women and young girls wishing to pursue a rugby league career.

Young players can’t be what they can’t see, so it was vital for our partnership that we were able to bring the Women’s State of Origin and NRLW premiership to fans through the Official NRL App.

It’s been a big 20 years in our partnership, with so many technological advances that have helped bring rugby league into more homes and onto more devices. We can’t wait to see what else comes from our partnership in the years ahead.

Kayo promotion terms and conditions

_{Redeem by 31 May 2021. Must sign up via Telstra. Cancel anytime, roll onto standard fees after 12 months. To be eligible, customers must have redeemed a Telstra NRL Live Pass service prior to 22 Dec 2020 and maintain that active Telstra service used to redeem it.}