"As long as the A-League is on both Foxtel and/or SBS, it’s non-competitive against free-to-air television, as is obvious through Ten’s broadcasting of Big Bash.
“The simple reality is if soccer is going to make headway in this country, they’ve got to strike a television rights deal that gets them back onto free to air for promotion purposes - and obviously for revenue purposes.” (Deakin University sport management specialist Professor David Shilbury)
Fairfax reports Optus is keen to bid for the next A-League and Socceroos broadcast rights. Fox Sports’s four-season deal to show A-League expires in mid-2017, while the rights to Socceroos’ third round Asian World Cup qualifiers are held by Singapore-based World Sport Group under licence from Asian Football Confederation. Fox Sports also holds rights to show Socceroos’ international friendlies live.
Nine and Ten are also interested to bid for the FTA rights to the A-League. Ten wants to show a Saturday night match to bolster its paltry ratings (often as low as 6% on Saturdays), while soccer will complement Nine’s summer sports coverage which includes cricket, cycling, ironman and possibly a new national netball competition. I would love to see Ten getting its hands on A-League as it will help lift the network’s weekend ratings when the Big Bash League is not on.
Could we have different networks showing A-League and Socceroos matches in the next deal?
Well we can see the international and A league rights split this time around. The Australian has reported that the FFA has split the rights with some international mob responsible for selling the international rights and the FFA dealing directly with the networks over the A League.
Incidentally, fox sports holds first and last rights. So there is going to be a deal where the rights will be split and obviously simulcast.
If the FFA don’t go large on a main network they won’t build. They need to follow cricket and go full free to air.
So the rights could be split as follows:
A-League (FFA dealing directly with networks): Fox Sports holds first and last rights
Socceroos’ Asian World Cup qualifiers, Asian Cup, AFC Champions League (World Sport Group, the “international mob” mentioned above, dealing with networks)
Socceroos’ international friendlies (unknown)
Mumbrella is reporting the FFA has given the TV networks until December 9 to submit their bids to the A-League rights. The 4-year deal also includes the W-League, the FFA Cup, and some Socceroos and Matildas matches.
Herald Sun says that while a A-League pay-TV rights deal with Fox Sports could be announced as soon as tomorrow (Tuesday), the FFA is holding out the FTA component until next year, hoping the network that misses out on a new Big Bash League broadcast deal will spend the money on the A-League. This is something Nine and Ten have to consider: will it choose A-League as Plan B if either of them miss out on the next cricket rights?
The A-League today revealed a new logo, the second one in the competition’s history. FFA boss David Gallop says the design is inspired by football’s three outstanding features – atmosphere, diversity and unity.
For the first time, the A-League, W-League and Y-League (youth league) will share the same logo. All three league brands will assume the colour palette of clubs when utilised within club marketing and collateral, including the playing strip. It will apply from the start of the 2017/18 season. You can see the result and club uniforms with the new logo here. Thoughts?
The Australian Financial Review reports today that bids of bids for Football Federation Australia’s free-to-air broadcast and telecommunications rights are due by Easter and a deal could be wrapped up by the end of May. The deal is expected to have one Saturday evening A-League match, some Socceroos 2022 World Cup qualifiers and friendlies, Matildas, W-League, club friendly matches and an expansion clause, allowing for new teams to enter the A-League.
The Saturday evening A-League match will have no catch up or replay rights, unlike the current deal in which SBS can replay the Friday night game on Saturday. Also, having club friendlies included in the new deal will also prevent networks from fighting for the rights to show them. In recent years, Seven, Nine and Fox Sports have all shown friendlies against visiting European clubs with mixed ratings.
The AFR reports that current A-League broadcaster SBS, Seven, Nine and Ten did not lodge an official bid for the new FFA free-to-air rights by the April 13 deadline, with FFA and ABC in discussions. The proposed free-to-air deal is said to be worth about $2 million to the FFA, but will also require an additional $2 million to be paid by the free-to-air rights holder to Fox Sports for production, the main reason the commercial networks are not interested in the new deal.
If you can see behind the paywall additional info includes that while there were multiple bids “that could mean Telstra has also lodged a bid for streaming rights”.
If there is no FTA deal, the rights will go to Fox Sports for an additional $2 million for a total of $4 million per year.
Another disaster for the FFA. ABC really isn’t going to boost the profile of the sport. Commercial Networks are not interested in this minor sport in such a non-exclusive way. It will remain a niche pay tv sport with dwindling crowds if it doesn’t get a major FTA deal.
If 7 buys rights for A-League, can we see a 7Sport channel (perhaps Channel 75) for the future? With 7 having A lot of sports (AFL, Tennis, Winter Olympics, GC2018, Horse Racing, NFL) to cover during the a league season, time will tell.
The Australian reports Ten is set to gain broadcast rights to A-League and Socceroos matches if no more bidders come forward before a formal deadline this Wednesday (May 31). The report says Seven West Media, Nine Entertainment Company, and SBS have not yet lodged an official bid with the Football Federation Australia, which will also knock back ABC’s bid (something to do with its widely panned coverage of Sydney FC v Liverpool friendly last Wednesday).
