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Football Federation Australia are reportedly interested in devising an early end to their current broadcast deal with Fox Sports and SBS, a deal that sees only limited football broadcast on free-to-air television in Australia.
On Monday morning, the Financial Review reported that there are concerns around the “soft ratings for A-league matches on SBS” and that both “Seven and Ten have indicated to the FFA they would be at least interested in discussing a new deal”.
The current A-League deal sees all games broadcast live on Fox Sports, with SBS simulcasting Friday night fixtures.
Late last year the ABC also threw their hat into the football broadcasting ring, securing conditional rights to broadcast the Socceroos’ Asian Cup fixtures as well as finals.
Fox Sports’ current four-year broadcast deal commenced on July 1, 2013, covering competitions up until June 30, 2017. The deal combined for a total value of $160 million.
Any negotiations around broadcasts prior to the June 30, 2017 deadline would then become conditional on Fox Sports agreeing to bring discussions forward, ending a long standing relationship in the process.
As it stands Fox Sports and the FFA have shared a broadcast arrangement for almost a decade – the current arrangement would see that relationship extend to 12 years.
So would a move to a complete free-to-air broadcast be the key to football’s continued growth in the Australian market? Perhaps more importantly, could it be significant enough to justify a break of the current broadcast deal?
The staggering success of the Big Bash League following a shift from pay-TV to Network Ten in 2013 has provided sports administrators with a case study that displays indisputable evidence of the power of free-to-air broadcasting.
The growth from its pay-TV days is staggering, but looking back the signs of success were certainly there. During the 2011/12 BBL season, the league punched well above its weight, with some games pushing up towards an average of 400,000 viewers.
Ten paid $100 million on a five-year deal for the broadcast rights to the BBL (beginning with the 2013/14 season), which has quickly taken a place as the crown jewel in their summer schedule, often pushing up to (and over) 1-million viewers.
But are the same indicators of success present for the A-League as they were for the BBL?
To put the current free-to-air reach of the A-League and BBL into perspective, on Friday December 20, 2014, the Sydney Sixers vs Adelaide Strikers match at the Adelaide Oval averaged over 550,000 viewers across both sessions. On SBS One, the Newcastle Jets vs Adelaide United match saw just 94,000 tune in.*
Fox Sports broadcasts of A-League games largely fall beneath 100,000 viewers.
There should be little doubt that a complete shift to a free-to-air network would see a ratings boost for the A-League, but the key question for broadcasters and the FFA to answer is whether that boost would be large enough to justify the move?
With estimates for the potential increase in annual worth sitting at around $80 million, it’s a decision that could have massive implications for the growth of football in the coming years.
When asked to comment on the potential of an early end to the current deal, FFA chief executive David Gallop provided little, simply stating: “Every match that is broadcast, including the Asian Cup, shows the attraction of the sport and points towards the next broadcast deal we will have.”
The Roar has contacted Foxtel and Network Ten for comment.
*Rating taken from Media Week Australia Twitter account.
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