That’s a wrap for Calcio Italiano at Optus Stadium

Early August was an epic time for football in Perth, with four of Italy's most iconic clubs, AC Milan, Inter, Juventus and Palermo, competing in Western Australia for a series of highly anticipated matches.

For Australian football fans, it was a rare chance to see some of the world's biggest clubs in action on home soil, bringing together generations of supporters and celebrating the passion, history and excitement of elite Italian football.

The action kicked off at Optus Stadium on 5 August as AC Milan and Inter went head-to-head. The excitement continued on 8 August when Juventus took on Inter at Optus Stadium, before the series concluded at HBF Park on 11 August with Juventus facing Palermo.

The football was incredible and we loved how fans turned out for their favourite teams. Optus was proud to help elevate the fan experience at Optus Stadium, and to help create memorable moments for supporters and the wider community.

Fans could immerse themselves in an Italian-inspired fan precinct featuring interactive football challenges, entertainment and photo opportunities before making their way into the stadium. Ahead of both matches at Optus Stadium, a spectacular light show helped set the scene and build anticipation before kick-off.

Watch the lightshow on Instagram.

Across the first two matches, Optus was on the lookout for the loudest, proudest and most passionate supporters in the crowd, with surprise seat upgrades and exclusive merchandise packs up for grabs. There was plenty of excitement, whether you were cheering on in the stands or testing your skills in the fan precinct.

Beyond match day, Optus also supported a range of community initiatives designed to ensure more people could share in the excitement. This included special match day experiences for WA's Telethon children and families, opportunities for community partners including What Ability and Invictus Australia, tickets for St John Ambulance volunteers, and engagement with members of the WA football community.

Game on for the Optus network

Optus was focused on enabling epic moments for fans of the sport at Optus Stadium, and that came down to making the event unmissable for Calcio Italiano diehards, and making sure our customers could connect to our network consistently to share the epic match moments.

Across the two matches at Optus stadium, more than 102,000 attendees cheered on their favourite teams. Optus networks data revealed that 2,100 international roaming customers connected to our network at the stadium from over 50 countries, showing the global appeal of the sport.

Our network was super busy over the two matches, with Instagram being the most used platform for fans to share moments from the match online. Other popular apps included iCloud, Snapchat, Facebook and TikTok.

Fans used around 4.5 terabytes of mobile data - the equivalent to around 1 million photos - including around 1.2 terabytes of uploads. Our network was able to hold steady and keep everyone at the stadium connected.

“Optus planned months in advance for a crowd of this size and energy, boosting capacity across the precinct so every fan could share the moment in real time. It's a strong sign of what Perth can attract and deliver in terms of large-scale events," Optus Consumer Expert Jane McNamara said.

"We’re committed to creating meaningful experiences that extend beyond the stadium gates. While the matches themselves captivated football fans, we're equally proud to help make occasions like this more inclusive, rewarding and accessible for the wider community."

The series was delivered by the Western Australian Government and event partners, while Optus was proud to enhance the match-day experience through our longstanding partnership with Optus Stadium.