AUSTRALIA Law and Practice Contributed by: Sven Burchartz and Jessica Bell, Kalus Kenny Intelex
initiative, Motorsport Australia (Australia’s motor rac - ing governing body), together with other motorsport organisations and local car clubs, have been providing girls aged 8-22 with more tools and support to get more involved in motorsport, whether that be as driv - ers, engineers, mechanics, volunteers or in one of the many other roles in the motorsport industry. 9. Esports 9.1 Development and Growth of Esports The popularity of esports within Australia has steadily grown over the last few years, with sporting organisa - tions, such as Motorsport Australia, creating esports platforms where users can engage in competition, learning and development. While the esports market in Australia remains relatively small compared to the global market, there is growing infrastructure to support it, including dedicated ven - ues such as Fortress Melbourne (Victoria), the Southern Hemisphere’s largest video gaming and entertainment complex, and tournament organisers such as ESL Aus - tralia, which have helped create opportunities for par - ticipants and attract greater commercial interest. As the Australian esports market continues to take shape, Australians are utilising the international market. Notably, Anathan “ana” Pham won the International Dota 2 Championships in both 2018 and 2019. Within a mere five years of competition, he won over USD6 million in prize money before his retirement in 2021. Australia also had success in the Apex Legends Glob - al Series, with the Australian team DarkZero, made up of Rhys “Zer0” Perry, Noyan “Genburten” Ozkose and Rick “Sharky” Wirth, ultimately winning the 2021-22 competition and taking home AUD500,000 for their efforts. 9.2 Key Trends and Notable Deals in Esports Esports in Australia continues to grow, with dedi - cated gaming venues, partnerships between esports organisations and tournament operators such as ESL Australia. Recent developments include expanded sponsorship deals, such as ESL Australia’s renewed partnership with Dare Iced Coffee as the official non–
alcoholic beverage partner of the ESL ANZ Champi - onships, and the League of Legends Circuit Oceania, featuring brand integration throughout competitive broadcasts and fan engagement activities. Broadcast and streaming arrangements have also expanded – in 2025, Seven Network secured the rights to the 2025 Esports World Cup in Australia, where the most popular games in the tournament are exclusively broadcast on free-to-air via the network’s app. 10. NFTs, AI and the Metaverse 10.1 Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) Notable Usage of NFTs in Australia’s Sports Industry In 2022, following the success of the US National Bas - ketball Association in the NFT market, selling basket - ball’s greatest “moments” as NFTs called “NBA Top Shots”, Cricket Australia in conjunction with the Aus - tralian Cricketers Association signed a multi-year offi - cial licensing deal with Rario and BlockTrust regarding the creation of an online platform for the trading and sales of NFTs, in particular “digital memorabilia.” 2022 also saw the launch of the “AO Artball” NFT col - lection by Tennis Australia. Tennis Australia continued with the NFTs before dropping them prior to the 2025 Australian Open, following a significant 90% decline in their value. The Australian Football League also launched the AFL Mint in 2022, which sells exclusive AFL NFTs showcas - ing iconic “moments, highlights and champion players” in AFL history. The AFL Mint continues to sell NFTs, including incorporating an online marketplace on its platform where fans can sell or trade their own NFTs. More broadly, the Australian NFT market has shifted from speculative trading toward utility–based digital assets, with organisations beginning to explore NFTs as fan engagement tools, membership benefits and access to exclusive content, rather than using them only as collectables.
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