Perth’s Wayne Shroj (22) and Sydney’s Beau Busch go for the ball during Round 16 of the Hyundai A-League between Sydney FC and Perth Glory in Sydney, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2008. Perth won 4-1. AAP Image/Jenny Evans
It was only when I started scribbling some notes for this week’s column that I realised the errors of my timing. For some time, I have suggested on The Roar that a massive opportunity sits as yet untested for both Football Federation Australia and Cricket Australia.
And I thought this week was time to expand on this idea some more. Except that my timing, in the end, was a bit off.
You see, the week I’ve chosen to write about an idea for increasing the exposure of the A-League (and the domestic Twenty20 cricket “Big Bash”) happens to coincide with the only weekend this side of Christmas where there are no A-League games scheduled.
Irony works in truly funny ways sometimes …
In my humble opinion, FFA and CA have an opportunity to cash in on some now-vacant major prime-time free-to-air television real estate.
With footy fans around the country now scratching their heads about what to watch on a Friday night, with the AFL and NRL competitions run and won, FFA and/or CA should be moving heaven and earth to grab these timeslots.
Surely, a live Friday night A-League or T20 Big Bash game on one of the free-to-air channels is going to be an infinitely better choice for the sports fan than Better Homes &; Gardens, or the inevitable re-runs of Police Academy movies.
In the case of both sports, this Friday night timeslot would be the ideal introduction to viewers in the free-to-air markets to competitions that they have never seen before.
In the case of the A-League, FFA Chairman Frank Lowy has made no secret of his desire to see the A-League on Australian free-to-air television.
The A-League markets itself as being a great summer sport alternative, and makes good use of the timeslots available to them, with every game being broadcast live on Fox Sports.
Further, the A-League has traditionally made good use of the holiday periods too, with a game scheduled this season on December 23, plus two more on Boxing Day evening. Games on New Year’s Eve and Australia Day are also locked in for this season, as has been the case in years previous.
There’s no doubt the A-League is conscious of catering for the both the live crowd, and the viewing public. A live Friday night game on a free-to-air network can only enhance this.
The domestic Twenty20 Cricket competition, the Big Bash, has been around for a similar period to that of the A-League, and has slowly grown in that time.
Where once it was a simple three-game round robin with a one-off Final, this season’s Big Bash series has expanded to a draw where each team plays each other once, a preliminary final, and a Final.
This season’s competition will feature games scheduled for most nights of the week, and runs from December 28 to January 23.
For CA to take advantage of this free-to-air television opportunity, a major re-work of the schedule would be required. But that shouldn’t kill the idea.
Already, ONE HD’s broadcasts of the Indian Premier League, and the recent Champions League T20 – won by NSW in October – has shown that there is already a market for this format of the game on free-to-air TV.
Additionally, Friday night Big Bash games have also been among the highest-viewed Pay-TV programs of the week.
If there needed any more convincing of the merits, the Channel 9 broadcasts of pointless T20 Internationals, and the even-more pointless All-Star game to begin the summer (such as this coming Sunday night), have always been traditionally high rating programmes.
So, if the idea seems logical, what could bring it undone? Well, existing broadcasting contracts with Fox Sports, for one. A bloody big “one”, actually.
Both the FFA and CA have existing deals with Fox through to around 2013, and in the case of CA, this deal was only just renewed at the start of this cricket season.
For either body to take advantage of this vacant Friday night timeslot, some very careful and very clever renegotiations will have to eventuate.
Alternatively, Fox Sports could on-sell the Friday night game to a free-to-air network. Realistically, this is probably the more doable.
Either way, Fox aren’t going to give it up for nothing.
I should add that I am only talking about the Friday night games here; not the entire competition broadcasts (as good as that would be). I’m very aware of the fact that without Fox Sports, neither competition would have come to life as they have.
Certainly in the case of the A-League, it wouldn’t exist at all without Fox Sports buying the broadcast rights.
It just seems to me that this is too good an opportunity not to explore.
On the surface, it looks like a genuine win-win-win-win situation, for both FFA and/or CA, for the free-to-air network bold enough to try it, definitely for the footy fans enduring Better Homes & Gardens, and maybe even for Fox Sports on-selling broadcast rights.
Who knows what such a move might do for either completion? Who knows how many new viewers will start enjoying something they’ve previously never seen? Who knows how much new advertising revenue might materialise? Questions that all deserve an answer.
The first competition to tackle Friday nights in summer might just secure their immediate future. And the network that takes the punt, I suspect they’ll end up with a summer ratings bonanza.
Midfielder
Guest
The problem with the A-League on FTA is it is an unknown ... the Socceroos pre 2005 rated very poorly ... today they come first with daylight second... thus everyone wants the Socceroos. But the A-League is a difficult call... especially the cross over period when the winter codes are at their height, addationally RU now also plan to play in the same months... My guess is the money offered was way short of what Fox want ... For Fox to get what it wants the FTA want information that only Fox and maybe FFA have and Fox do not want to give it away... Interestingly I was told if a FTA network .. being 9 or 10 managered to get both RL & Football they would win the ratings over 7.... refer somewhere in an article I wrote sometime back http://www.theroar.com.au/2009/09/24/the-next-round-of-media-deals/
Brett McKay
Guest
Freud, I probably should have added the cover-all "in their current structure" to my 'can't really grow' comment. They will of course do whatever it takes to increase subscription numbers over time, but sooner or later they will have to make things more enticing. Pay-per-view instantly comes to mind, for people who really only want to watch their footy team once a week.
Brett McKay
Guest
Pernunz, I never miss a chance to sledge BH&G - it even got got a bonus bagging in this piece.. Prowler, I'll give you points for bravery in making such an admission on a sports website!! You're quite right about the CLT20, it got massive coverage even away from ONE HD where it was broadcast, and there will be plenty of interest in NSW and Vic T20 games as a result when the Big Bash starts. Big Bash games rate very well on Fox Sports, and you'd certainly hope at some point that domestic T20 can have a FTA presence..
Brett McKay
Guest
MIdfielder, wonder what sort of info was requested that wouldn't be released?? All sounds a little cloak & dagger to me. I wonder if these FTA-Fox talks have continued; that maybe the negotiations continue, and suddenly, one night, bang, here's the A-League on ChX??
prowling panther
Roar Rookie
I for one would certainly tune in for kfc big bash games. It will do cricket (particularly state cricket) a world of good. No one knows anything about domestic crocket these days which I find bizarre considering the coverage that domestic aleague gets for example. Watching the champions league in India has whetted my apetite for domestic T20s. Im certainly going to attend a NSW game against QLD or VIC. GO THE BLUES! PS I dont mind better homes and gardens. Quite helpful for good living
pernunz
Roar Rookie
When I started reading, I was going to make a smart-arse comment about Better Homes and Gardens, but you managed to professionally incorporate that into your article!
Midfielder
Guest
For the record .....My understanding in Hal 3 Ch 9 approached Fox for Saturday night and Ch 10 approached Fox for two games one on Friday night and one on Saturday night... Fox wanted heaps and the FTA wanted information about Football Fox would not release... meaning there is a demand from the FTA stations... Just Football pre 2003 history was still playing out in 2006 when the Fox deal was signed..
Brett McKay
Expert
Freud, I am in agreement with you about the quality of production etc, and using the cricket example, any other network would indeed have to at least meet the high standards Nine have set over the years. But also, having listened to a lot of ABC Radio, and even watching the international commentary for events like the World Cup, there's some good callers out there. Plenty of people didn't like Nasser Hussein during The Ashes, but I didn't mind him. Greg Blewett isn't too bad considering he's been in the gig for what, two years?? I quite like Damien Fleming and Michael Slater too. But then, there's Tony Greig.... I actually can't comment too much on the A-L becuase I don't see a lot of it. I do like Simon Hill as a commentator though, so if any other network used their own callers, Hill is my benchmark. (Of course, another option for this idea is a simulcast of the Fox telecast - then you could have Simon Hill himself. Plenty of AFL games in NSW and Qld involve Fox simulcasts, by the way, so it could be done) But as long as the production is good, I don't particularly care which watermark is in the top corner, no...
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
Surely you would care Brett which channel picked up the A-League or Cricket on FTA on a friday night slot. I know I would find it hard to watch the cricket anywhere else other than Channel 9. I love hearing the familiar voices every summer and people like Greg Blewett who get commentary jobs overseas simply aren't up to the standard I expect, but those are the kind of guys you'd get calling the games on Channel 7 or OneHD. As for football, well you have an even bigger problem. The commentary on Fox is derisory, I can't see how a channel that isn't dedicated to sport that has no considerable invest in the game would do any better. I am totally in agreement that one of the games must come to FTA on Friday nights, but not to the detriment of the game. If it comes, it must be a quality package, quality entertainment, not a hodge-podge for the sake of cash.
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
Ah Brett, you've entered Freud's favourite territory, off-the-field issues. I haven't worked in the TV industry but I can imagine how Foxtel works, at least the principle behind the business and I'd imagine there is no "cap" in place, imaginary or otherwise as to how many people they can attract to their service. The management will know that Australia is a "limited" market but they'll also know that their current subscription numbers can be improved upon, your statement of "Fox Sports can’t really grow its audience much more than it already is" would get you fired if you worked there. Yes they can and yes they will. They will simply have to move with the times, offer more for less, look at utilising the internet and try and do some educated guessing on the future of sports which means predicting trends of which sports will boom in Australia (they're on a winner in football), how the different business models are changing and find additional business, perhaps they'll look at affiliating with some of their advertising partners on a more performance orientated payment basis, I don't know what their plans are but I can assure you, they will never plateau, it's a Murdoch company, he didn't get where he is by resting on his laurels and he wouldn't have someone in charge of a company like that that didn't have hunger.
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
Has anyone considered the impossibility of an FA Cup styled comp in Aus? Infrastructure is non-existant, local clubs already have to travel great distances to play matches in their local leagues, how are advancing teams going to afford and be able to coordinate these games? Sorry but it will never work in Aus. Europe is compact, you travel a few minutes to the next town, in Aus it can take hours, driving interstate can take a day, the idea of an FA-Cup style comp would be great for Football, AFL even, cricket possibly but it is a mere pipedream.
Fisher Price
Guest
Working Class Rugger: an oxymoron surely?
Brett McKay
Guest
spread the word!!
M1tch
Roar Guru
hahahaha, sorry you cant fish here ;) btw..I know rah rah is bigger :P
Working Class Rugger
Guest
That's for sure, by the way have I mentioned how much more international Rugby is :D
M1tch
Roar Guru
I'm sure we will be back to arguing soon enough lol
Working Class Rugger
Guest
Brett McKay column as force for good in this world.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
Brett Here's the thing. M.Clarke would be a very good T20 player if he played more of it particularly at the domestic level. But at the moment he's not playing it regularly enough and quite often playing guys who have so much more expereince as you have stated.
Brett McKay
Guest
and to think it happened on my column, *sniff*, you guys.......
Working Class Rugger
Guest
Mitch I think it's the first thing we are actually in agreement on. :D