Paramount+ is doubling down on global football as IP, rolling out its Winter Festival of Football this July with a high-visibility push headlined by Wrexham AFC’s first-ever tour of Australia and New Zealand.
The tour, fronted by Wrexham co-chairmen Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, is part of a broader content strategy that positions the club—newly promoted to the Championship—as a top-tier storytelling asset with transcontinental draw. The streamer has secured exclusive live rights to all fixtures in the festival, including matchups from Singapore and Hong Kong featuring Premier League and Serie A clubs.
Wrexham’s three-match swing will see the Welsh side face Melbourne Victory on Friday, July 11 at Marvel Stadium; Sydney FC on Tuesday, July 15 at Allianz Stadium; and Wellington Phoenix on Saturday, July 19 at SKY Stadium in New Zealand. The marquee tour not only capitalises on the momentum of FX’s hit docuseries Welcome to Wrexham, but also sets the stage for further international franchise development as the club’s profile continues to scale.
Following the Australia leg, Paramount+ will stream the Singapore Festival of Football, featuring Arsenal vs. AC Milan (July 23) and Arsenal vs. Newcastle United (July 27), and the Hong Kong Football Festival, which includes Liverpool vs. AC Milan (July 26) and Arsenal vs. Tottenham Hotspur (July 31). All matches will be available live and exclusive to Paramount+, with strategic evening kickoffs (9:30 PM AEST) targeting Australian primetime.
The play underscores Paramount+’s continued investment in sport-driven subscriber growth, using premium football content as a gateway to long-tail engagement across global territories. For Wrexham, the tour marks a key inflection point as the club transitions from novelty story to serious business—in both sporting and commercial terms.
With fanbases activated across continents and a content pipeline already in place, Paramount+ is making a calculated move: not just betting on football, but on narrative IP with legs. Wrexham’s story isn’t just continuing—it’s going international.
