Has Christmas come early for football?

and add SFC as the first A-League club to win the Asian Champions' League . . .

That sounds very interesting Jimbo ... you must keep us up to date ... keep in touch with your former boss.

MV Dave if Soccer Australia announced that they would bid for 2 world cups 5 years ago, they would have been laughed at by the AFL zealots.

Foxtel used to be one of my customers in a previous job and I bumped into my old boss on the weekend. No figure mentioned but the FFA aren't jumping at the first offer, like they did when they kicked off the A-League - it was a jump of faith for both back then, but now they are in a better bargaining position. Fox also sell the A-League games and highlights packages to other networks around the world and the Socceroos games like the Japan WC qualifier to foreign networks for a good price. Fox are very reluctant to sell any football rights to FTA, since it gave them a big boost in new customers who had to get Foxtel to watch local football and they are making good money on football at the moment.

KB I've already told you to put your hard earned on a MV/ManU double - 2 x league winners :) Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy (footballing) New Year!

MV Dave, actually to that list you can add the 2011 Asian Cup to be held in January of that year (just over 12 months away). I think that if most of the veterans hang around for this one and given that the players will all be in season, plus a half competent coach and lessons learnt from 2007 we have to one of the favourites. To become Asian champions in the same 6-12 months as the things you mentioned above would be amazing.

You forgot Chelsea winning the Double and the FIFA world club championship :)

Fox Sports should offer an irresistible 1.5billion deal to the AFL, then show a revolutionary 1hr highlights package at 1.30am. Think of all the infomercials they could cram into that time-slot also! It'd be a totally unique cockamamie broadcasting concept ... oh wait ... Well done Fox, and Merry Christmas to one and all!

Midfielder Will be fascinating next 12 months for football in Oz...WC 2018/2022 decision, WC in SA, TV deal, WP future in HAL TBC, maybe Victory v SFC final, new stadium opening in Melb (just received membership seating info today and it looks fantastic), Melb Heart coming in, S Rovers getting off the ground, and CCM Centre of Excellence under construction etc (they are just off the top and there may be other matters l have missed). Keep up the good work!

Dave In a meeting with a client of mine a few months back ... I wrote a thread about the next media deals... anyway he told me that it is felt if Ch 9 got both RL & Football they would beat Ch 7 in the ratings... As an aside I think when Obie Wan choose BB IMO he got hin for two reasons, his knowledge on how to build a domestic league and second he is credited with the TV deal that AFL got when they got the 780 million...

Amazing Jimbo that the FFA would knock back $60 million per year after having only received $2 million per year as little as 5 years ago. Not doubting you but if true is the biggest pointer yet to the growth of the game here. l'm hoping that there is a FTA highlights show (maybe Ch One or SBS) and Socceroos WC Qualifying games FTA. The HAL games receive excellent coverage on Fox and l doubt FTA would do the same (ie pre post game shows).

Interesting that football are in a postion not to accept Fox's offer. Who would have thought that 5 years ago. Yes Jimbo, let us know what you know.

Jimbo Any idea what they are looking for..

They have. They didn't accept Fox's offer and are negotiating for something higher and some FTA concession. The Socceroos games go on the Anti-Siphoning list in 2012 and they want some A-League handed over to FTA as well..

If I was the FFA I would wait before signing on the dotted line. FOX know that they will be up against it if they wait till the current deal expires. I think they realise that FTA is lurking somewhere in the background and thats why they have come in early. The game will be changed forever if FIFA gives us the World Cup next year. It would be prudent not to make any hasty decisions right now that we may regret in 12 months when Blatter blurts out that word A-U-S-T-R-A-L-I-A!

Thanks for taking the trouble on that. Was driving me up the wall. Encouraged.... Need FTA to get the party started.

Have a link from frog ...typed most of it but in you enlarge it you can read it from the TerrOR http://img696.yfrog.com/i/ffafox300mil.jpg/ Backpage on Telegraph: NEW $300m Soccer Deal. IT'S the ultimate shot in the arm for Australian soccer- a multi-million dollar TV deal that will provide a huge cash injection for the A-League. FFA and Fox Sports are in the advanced stages of agreeing a new five year deal worth $300m. It is an increase in TV funding of almost two and a half times, with much of the benefit flowing straight to the A-League clubs. It's understood they will receive a handout from the FFA to cover the wages of their players in the salary capped A-League, National youth League and womens W-League. With the A-League beset by negative headlines over its declining crowds this season, the new deal agreed by Fox Sports chief David Malone would be the ultimate statement of faith in the Australian game. Fox Sports would continue to broadcast all A-League games, the Socceroos home matches, Asian Champions League games and the Asian Cup. Then on page 95 there is a two column article about the issue. FFA Hits a $300m jackpot with Fox. It says, Fox Sports is expected to replace the existing seven-year agreement struck in 2007, with the new deal worth nearly two and a half times as much. Fox's current deal has still four years to run, but may be replaced as early as next season. Fox sports appears set to secure the same package, which includes the Socceroos home matches, Asian Cup, A-League, AFC Champions League. The deal will secure the financing of struggling A-League clubs. The A-League clubs will receive 3million each season. This cash injection is expected to attract new investors. Despite falling crowds this season, the ratings for the Socceroos continue to be a banker for Fox Sports, with excitement generated by the 2018-2022 WC Bid and the unchallenged hosting rights to holding the international nations 2015 Asian Cup tournament. By expanding the A-League to 14 teams in 2018, we would get 4 spots in the Asian Champions League. It's not known whether the new deal will contain any provision for free-to-air coverage, though FFA chief Frank Lowy has declared his desire to see some of the A-League on a terrestrial station.

Eamonn, I still have the Wednesday's Daily Telegraph: the article reads "FFA hits a $300m jackpot with FOX" on page 95... Fantastic news----the start of many more good news stories to come...

Doubting Strikerx it wasn't in a paper..it was in the Telegraph:) ..page 95 on Wednesday I think.

Page number?? Not seeing it... sceptical...