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Following the announcement in November that the A-League would finally be screened on free-to-air television, there was nothing but goodwill among football fans in this country.
SBS – who the late Johnny Warren once described as “Australia’s best coach” – have always been the obvious partner to the A-League and the Socceroos.
I grew up with SBS. Monday nights meant English Premier League, Saturday mornings Serie A, Sundays a mammoth wrap up of all the week’s action. When Johnny cried, my Dad cried, and I quickly realised what football meant.
The game, for many of us, remains synonymous with SBS.
CURRENT SPORTS EVENTS ON THE FULL AUSTRALIAN ANTI-SIPHONING LIST: BROADCASTING LAWS EXPLAINED
At the time of the recent television deal, however, I wrote here that the relationship between Foxtel and SBS may take some time to develop as both stations try to provide a “home” for football. All parties clearly love the game, but it’s still a competitive marketplace.
Indeed, there has been a real sense of excitement at SBS, with the station going as far as saying that “football has come home”.
Of course, this polyamorous relationship now has two homes for the game, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. It’s all very modern.
Surprisingly, SBS managing director Michael Ebeid yesterday announced that Friday night football would be screened on their digital station, SBS2. With digital television almost completely rolled out in Australian homes, this should be of little concern to most A-League fans.
But it is odd that SBS haven’t taken the chance to push football on their main channel. You would expect that, after so much anticipation and excitement to have football back on free-to-air television, it would be given centre stage.
Especially considering that the main channels still consistently out-rate their digital offsprings.
Still, perhaps there is more to it than just football.
The public broadcaster is evidently trying to sell the revamped SBS2 as the channel for the so-called “thinking thirty somethings.”
For those confused, a “thinking thirty something” is someone “toying with the wild experimentation of youth while thinking about embracing responsibility for the first time.”
With programs about refugees, obscure comedies, angsty British dramas and the world game, SBS2 looks well on its way to becoming the new hipster channel. It’s even going to be in high definition.
But I digress. This A-League season has undoubtedly been the best in the competition’s short history. On and off the field, football seems to be getting it’s house in order. The new SBS – Foxtel partnership is just one of many important developments.
SBS now has a crucial role to play in continuing to provide a shopfront for football. It’s a thankless task that they’ve done tremendously well over the years. Some would argue that having football as the “defining piece” of their “edgy, adventurous and fun” content on SBS2 is, in fact, a good thing and a ringing endorsement.
Speaking to The Roar, Michael Ebeid explained that Friday night football would be simulcast on SBS2, SBSHD and online, but not on SBS1. For Ebeid it’s all about utilising the “flexibility” of the digital channel.
Having the A-League on SBS2 will allow more extensive coverage, and there are promises of magazine shows and highlights packages to complement the live telecast. According to Ebeid, The World Game show is likely to be redesigned to reflect the change in content.
Ebeid stressed that football would be used to define the digital channel’s “new identity and character.” Still, with the Champions League on SBS1 for the moment, and all Socceroos games still on SBS1 due to anti-siphoning laws, this will have to be a gradual process.
There is no doubt that the team at The World Game – given the opportunity – would turn SBS into a 24 hour football station.
But will they be given all the resources they need by SBS management to truly push the A-League into Australian living rooms, like the commercial stations do with rugby league and Australian rules? Ebeid is counting on the digital switchover to benefit rather than limit the reach of the A-League.
Let’s hope it’s not only the “thinking thirty somethings”, though, who tune in. Free-to-air coverage for football should be about feeding the masses, not filling the niche markets.
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