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In a season of strong numbers for the A-League, the most important is arguably the television ratings increase; given the current television deal expires in mid-2013.
According to a recent stat, Fox Sports’ A-League live average audience is up 62 percent on last season.
As far as timing goes, given the recent setbacks for the code, the strong TV numbers are a much-needed boost given that Football Federation Australia (FFA) needs to wrangle more than the current $19 million per year it gets from Fox Sports in order to ease some financial concerns around the league, let alone increase television presence.
And so recent chat has focused on whether the league is ready for a free-to-air presence – that old chestnut.
According to a recent article in The Herald Sun, “TV industry sources say all the free-to-air networks have cast an eye over the soccer rights and it is understood all remain interested at this early stage, although the looming negotiations over NRL rights make the timetable uncertain.
“SBS will almost certainly bid, but industry sources say Channel 10 will emerge as the most serious contender.”
Following on from the AFL’s deal with Channel Seven and Foxtel, the NRL’s television rights become the next most sought after property in the sporting arena, undoubtedly. Then, some way down the pecking order is the A-League.
When Channel 10 rebranded OneHD, moving it away from its sports-only platform, it could have condemned the FFA’s only real chance of getting proper A-League coverage on the commercial networks.
But any interest would only come once networks are left counting the dollars that remain after they’ve splurged on the NRL’s rights, or if they’ve missed out and are left looking for what they can get to help compensate in some small way. And remember there’s V8 Supercars and more out there up for grabs.
Remember too, as a summer sport the A-League falls in the non-ratings period. So even if it had numbers to rival the AFL and NRL, it would still be hamstrung.
And considering cricket’s place in Australia’s summer psyche relative to football, surely the new-look Big Bash League is first in line to be poached from Fox Sports; no matter how artificial it may seem at this stage (Australian free-to-air networks love nothing more than artificiality).
Then look at the NBL and how Channel 10 has treated it. Even if there is free-to-air interest, what degree of interest and how will it translate into the schedule? If the likes of Channel 10 can pick up exclusive free-to-air A-League content for a pittance, then nothing’s stopping them from treating the product like cheap goods it picked up at the Sunday market.
With the World Cups till 2022 locked in at SBS, the commercials’ interest in the round ball is likely to go cold. And, after all, marrying football, with its uninterrupted 45-minute halves, to commercial networks and its need for pauses to slot in ads will always hurt the likelihood that we’ll see Melbourne Victory versus Perth Glory slotted between the summer versions of X-Factor and Beauty and the Geek.
What I’m getting at here is to curb your enthusiasm, A-League fans. The golden free-to-air ticket of live games could be some time away, if it ever happens. It remains to be seen whether the likes of Channel 10, interested or not, are ready to commit to the league beyond a token gesture of an 11pm replay (again, see the NBL).
Fox Sports will likely retain the A-League rights. But, yes, marrying some free-to-air component to the TV deal is critical for the FFA. Fans just need to accept that it could be as minimal as an A-League highlights package sold to a free-to-air digital secondary channel, or a game a week on football-friendly SBS.
Free-to-air is needed for growth, we are told. But as the NBL has shown at what cost?
Better to be a big fish in the small pond of pay-TV than a small fish being monstered by the sharks in the commercial TV world?
This is ultimately about leverage; how much more the FFA can squeeze out of Fox Sports. So the talk of free-to-air interest comes in very handy. But let’s just be realistic here.