Central Coast Mariners players (L to R) Tom Pendeljak, Matthew Simon and John Hutchinson sit dejected after loosing 0-1 to the Newcastle Jets in the A-League Grand Final in Sydney on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2008. AAP Image/Paul Miller
The tide of public opinion seems to be turning against Fox Sports. With A-League crowds dipping, the fact the league’s reach is limited by that of Foxtel’s is not lost on those who are searching for answers to explain the disinterest.
Even its presenters, such as the likes of Mark Bosnich, aren’t spared from the criticism.
Bosnich seems to be dividing public opinion as a Fox Sports presenter more than he did as a player.
He certainly is growing in confidence in his new role for the broadcaster with that infectious laugh, palpable excitement and unpredictable responses.
But his work on Fox Sports alongside Robbie Slater, particularly on the Matchday Saturday coverage and to a lesser extent on Fox Sports FC, grates with some fans.
Matchday Saturday can certainly be banal and downright silly at times, but should we grin and bare it, consoling ourselves in the fact the game is being afforded extra coverage? Or is the A-League being done a disservice in having such coverage dumbed down in the fashion of the AFL and NRL Footy Shows?
It’s up to the eye of the beholder and their respective tastes.
Fox Sports may be Anglo-centric in their coverage, especially when compared to erstwhile rivals, SBS, but credit to the former for their commitment to the game, be it the A-League, Socceroos or wider football scene.
Kudos to them for offering the Asian Champions League final in addition to their A-League coverage Saturday night, for example.
It also helps strengthen the A-League when it is coupled with the English Premier League coverage, hopefully helping to marry supporters of the EPL to our domestic league, and there has definitely been an obvious effort from Fox Sports to do so during this season.
Football supporters certainly owe Fox Sports a huge amount of gratitude.
Fox Sports’ $120million, seven year television rights deal signed in 2005 marked a turning point in the FFA revolution. Frank Lowy described it at the time as “a transforming transaction for the sport.”
But Lowy knows the limitations of pay television at this critical juncture for the A-League.
“There’s no doubt that the game needs to be shown on free-to-air from time to time, or certain parts of the competition on free-to-air,” he said at a recent Melbourne Victory function.
The ideal scenario would be to have a shared deal between Fox Sports and a free-to-air broadcaster; having the majority of games live and interrupted on Fox Sports – one of the few broadcasters who could give games that type of coverage – with selected matches and possibly a highlights package sold to a free-to-air network.
As Jesse Fink states: “What Lowy must equally do, however, is not make the same mistake as his predecessor, David Hill, and sell the game’s soul – or part of it – to the station with the biggest ratings or advertising revenue.”
But Fox Sports isn’t going to cave in when its deal with the FFA comes to an end in two years.
It needs to keep a hold of football with the growing threat of ONE HD and the potential of future digital rivals robbing it of market dominance.
This next media deal will be critical for the A-League’s future, perhaps, considering the expansion phase it’s undertaking and need for an injection of funds and interest, just as crucial as that first deal with Fox Sports.
As for those who bemoan Fox Sports’ coverage, just remember the dark days of Channel 7’s flawed coverage of the game.
Give me Mark Bosnich’s laugh any day.
But it might be time to seriously examine how the A-League can maximise its impact on the box.
gregscavator
Guest
First off Andy Harper is an excellent presenter not afraid to ask the hard questions or state an opinion or analysis that is contrary to his co presenters. I have been following the A-League for the last two years since subscribing to Austar, it is clear that free to air TV must get involved as most people (not on pay TV) have little or no idea about the A-League as promotion and highlights are restricted to 30 second grabs on news programs.If commercial TV were to air one or two games of the week they would have to inject some experts in the game and not recycle their dinosaur sports commentators ( remember 10's tragic coverage of Sydney FC V La Galaxy ) Mainstream media must be educated that football is a game ,just like basketball, tennis ,cricket and not some massive threat to the NRL and AFL (the ARU have been noticeably quite on the hysteria whipped up by the likes of the Daily Telegraph'' FIFA TO TAKE OVER OUR CITY'',perhaps being more of a world game they see things with a bit more maturity)Radio rarely has comment on A league or promotion once again held back by dinosaur sports broadcasters that don't have a clue outside of the usual suspects. We all should get behind professional football in this country as its all we have.
James W
Guest
We are stuck with Peacock on Fox Sports FC tonight!!!!!!!!!!!! 90 minutes of "look at my crappy mo jokes" The dude has no idea on football.
Jesse Fink
Guest
"Give me Fox Sports FC over The World Game anyday. But I am amazed no one has yet to mention the single greatest football analyst in Australia right now…TRIMMERS! He is the perfect mix of colour and expert opinion." Disagree re TWG (my work situation has no bearing on that assessment, honestly) but agree that Trimmers is a find. He's not the best football analyst in the country by a longshot (Fozz wins that battle, IMO) but Trimboli is an ornament to Fox's coverage, which proves one thing: it's not the profile of your playing career that is important, it's what you have to say, your enthusiasm, your eye. In my opinion Fox has an unfortunate habit of giving air time to commentators with bigger names over giving air time to better commentators with more interesting things to say. That is not going to change any time soon. So many times I've wished they'd mix up their on-air talent with some wildcards, but they never do. It's all very predictable. I preferred Bozza, too, I have to say, when he wasn't used so readily. But he's an asset to Fox, there's no doubt about it. I'm very happy to see him kick on with his commentating career.
whiskeymac
Guest
we already did, although those back packers had leg irons to begin with...
whiskeymac
Guest
mon dieu slater played in france also! fox does a good job with excellent coverage. from nothing to this and people are complaining? it's like the (admittedly sexist) joke goes, and replacing the department store for fox and the whingers as the woman ...: A department store opened in New York City that sold men and a woman decides to visit it in search of a husband. At the store’s entrance, there’s a sign outlining the department store policy. The first rule states that you can only enter the store once. There are six floors and on each floor you can choose a husband or elect to move on to the next floor. You cannot visit a floor more than once other than to leave the building. The woman visits the first floor. The sign reads: · Men with jobs. She moves on to the second floor: · Men with jobs that adore children. She moves on the the third floor where the sign reads: · Wealthy men that adore children and are very handsome. She thinks to herself, "that's a very good deal" yet moves on to the fourth floor: · Wealthy men that adore children, are very handsome and help with the household chores. She decides to move on as things are constantly improving: · Wealthy men that adore childern, are very handsome, help with the household chores and are very romantic. The woman is about to make her purchase but can't resist moving on to the sixth floor. There the sign reads: · You are visitor number 31,456,012 on this floor. · There are no men here. · This floor exists as proof that it is impossible to please women.
DiCanio
Guest
just offering a solution. As stated its simple economics. Whinge all you want but until 2013 thats the way it is. FTA weren't coughing up enough money simple as that
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
Yes, why doesn't Australia base it's culture on the penniless english backpackers?
Constantine
Guest
no its terrible and socceroos should be fta. but they will be as soon as the deal expires in 2013
DiCanio
Guest
Simple economics. Its not live pay TV stole it from you. PS go to the pub like thousands of penniless English backpackers manage to do every weekend.
Constantine
Guest
agree!!! i do understand what is meant by anglo centric, but i believe it is because: bozza and slater played in the epl, because epl is on afterwards, because lets be honest serie a is nowhere near as popular here as it used to be, most football fans here follow epl, more or less it can be described as the worlds number 1 league (in all honesty it probably is and la liga is second) and because its more of a niche considering the world game covers the rest of europe and some of latin america too. it would probably be a bit better if they stopped getting kenny sansums and graham polls on the show and focused a bit on barcelona and real madrid; but then again they really go in depth with epl issues such as refereeing disasters and whats going on in liverpool which im sure interests a lot of people.
Chris
Guest
And i suppose not being able to watch my own national team on free to air television is a good thing
DiCanio
Guest
Compared to those jokers (Tommy Smyth) on ESPN Fox Sports is gold My two flatmates are not into football at all but will happily watch anything with Bozza in it partly due to his propensity to drop the occassional life lesson ('...these skills will serve you in football as well as in life') and simply because he is a genuine guy with lots of character making the most of his second chance. He is humourous and entertaining. As an Australian that's something I thought everyone could get into I like Harp's because he is intellectual, Trimmers is perceptive, Kosmina (when he's been given a go) is fatherly and Mike Cockerill is..well... a reporter. Slater can be annoying, but I have also laughed quite a bit and he has a strong precesence and confidence about him. And for me Peacock is the necessary straight man. He's a professional, he doesn't need to know everything about the game, he just needs to steer the ship. I'm not sure what is meant Anglo-centric. I come from an Italian background and I don't feel left out. I know that The World Game is probably more perceptive in their global analysis, but what issue are we addressing here? If it is global football commentary, then Bosnich and Slater clearly aren't your men But matchday saturday is predominately Aleague and EPL. Both have played in the EPL and the Aleague is a new league that needs to be grown. As such, entertainment, hype and build up are more important that withering critiscm. Save it for the more established leagues, where they have 100 years of history and are in an ongoing stage of refinment. In this country we are still trying to grown our football tree, no need to start trimming off the branches.
Midfielder
Guest
The next media deal will be much much more than the one we have today... It's the deal after that or the 10 year away deal is when the money will flow...
NUFCMVFC
Guest
You can get both through Foxtel subscription though
Constantine
Guest
wow you went the complete other way to me, i like bozza hes just a larrikin, i like peacock hes a good and professional presenter and its good how they get other personalities on board as it makes it interesting (apart from how many of them support liverpool)
Constantine
Guest
oh yea shes mad, lee furlong is nuts too
James
Guest
I saw that highlights grab too! Then you wonder why no one cares about the A-League...
James
Guest
Leave Warnie alone...his ashes commentary this year was a breath of fresh air compared to the tired conservative English drones.
James
Guest
Actually his knoweldge of many sports is what makes him a great broadcaster. Compare apples with apples please. Bruce is a host...robbie special comments man...i dont like him, but each to their own.
megatron
Guest
I second that :-D