As a Wanderers fan, it’s been for me the best season of the A-League to date or perhaps any other sporting season. My anticipation for the next A-League season, still 16 weeks out from the pre-season, is palpable.
The omens are all good for A-League season nine. The major signings from last season are all confirmed as staying on with the promise of more big names to come.
From July 1, Football Federation Australia’s new four-year, $160 million broadcast rights deal comes into effect giving more money to the FFA and the A-League clubs.
And on top of other changes for the better, the A-League will appear nationally on free-to-air television for the first time to broaden its mainstream appeal across the land.
Part of the new broadcast deal is that SBS will be allowed to telecast one A-League game per week live in prime time on Friday nights, as well as an A-League highlights package and a delayed telecast of the all the A-League finals series matches on SBS.
All great news for Australian football fans and the continued growth of the A-League, but the question arises as to which A-League games are going to be played on a Friday night.
The A-League competition fixture list for this season becomes very important, especially if you don’t have Foxtel.
A computerised system is used to determine the English Premier League fixtures.
Once a draft schedule is produced by the computer, given a certain set of constraints, dates to avoid and other FIFA and major competition parameters, the EPL schedulers then consult with the Fixtures Working Party, which is made up of representatives from clubs across the Leagues and from supporters’ organisations.
The final EPL fixture list concludes with a consultation meeting with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the British Transport Police.
I’m not sure if the FFA is going to go through the same rigorous process, particularly in setting the agenda for the Friday night live games on SBS.
My concern is that Foxtel will have a major say in determining the Friday night games.
Given they are the major contributor to the FFA’s broadcast deal revenues, they will ask that blockbuster games like the big derbies in Melbourne and Sydney and other major fixtures be not scheduled on a Friday night.
Will the FFA continue with its policy to play games on the day of the week and at times that best suits the clubs and their fans attendance habits?
How much influence Foxtel has on the A-League fixtures list is yet to be seen.
With the NRL and AFL, the FTA stations contribute the most revenue to the broadcast deals and they usually get the highest TV rating teams shown as their live games.
Channel Nine has had many complaints over the years that their Friday night live games usually feature high television rating teams like the Broncos, Rabbitohs, Bulldogs or Dragons.
The fans of the other teams like Canberra and Penrith are complaining that their teams are never shown on Friday nights.
It’s not uncommon to see the Broncos games shown live on Channel Nine three or four Friday nights in a row.
For the A-League the situation is reversed. Foxtel, not SBS, contribute the vast majority of money to the FFA for broadcasting matches and they will surely get the most influence in setting the Friday night fixtures.
If so, is this a bad thing in terms of A-League attendances and club revenues. If the blockbuster games are not on free-to-air, then more fans are likely to go to the games and add to the colour and atmosphere.
More sell outs and greater demand for match day tickets if they are not on free-to-air.
If we had Friday night live games, according to the season eight fixture list, we would have opened the past season with the Melbourne derby live, then Adelaide vs Wanderers live, Victory vs Adelaide, Victory vs Jets, Wanderers vs Heart, Heart vs Roar, Roar vs Sydney and so on.
Some good games there to watch on a Friday night.
But if the lower placed teams and let’s say, the least entertaining games are only allowed to be shown on SBS on a Friday night, how will that impact the free-to-air viewing audiences and the appeal and prestige of the A-League, especially when the best games are not shown live to the biggest potential audiences?
Will it lower attendances at the bottom end of the league and how will it affect the smaller clubs and lower placed teams’ financial viability?
I don’t believe the clubs will be paid any extra by the FFA if their games are shown live.
I hope the FFA takes a balanced view of the fixture list and can allow as many blockbuster games as possible to be shown on a Friday night live on SBS.
The big games should be popular enough to attract big crowds anyway and the occasional more exciting games on SBS will broaden the A-League’s appeal and continue to enhance the FFA’s, SBS’s and the A-League’s reputations.
Ian
Guest
that's why i said for those who may have been less inclined to attend a football game. you attend a-league games already. new fans who will see the a-league for the first time on free to air tv rather than pay tv may see an exciting game on friday night and decide to go to a live match.
West
Roar Pro
I hope it doesn't sound like whingeing Fussball because I 'm really excited about the upcoming season and the SBS coverage. Just wondering how the Fri night games are going to be selected and what influence SBS or Foxtel have with FFA in the scheduling. I'm sure we will be very interested when the fixture list comes out and I can start planning my social calendar for 2013-14.
Cameron
Roar Guru
Really? I've never been inclined to do so.
West
Roar Pro
I don't know it its pointless Towser. What if we get the situation like on Channel 9 when 18 of the 24 Broncos NRL games are shown live on a Friday night? What if we have 20 of the 27 Friday night A-League games featuring MV or SFC and what about their fans that can't go to games on a Friday night?
Ian
Guest
and also viewing the game on a friday night may entice them to attend their local team's home game on the saturday or sunday, if they haven't been so inclined to do before that.
West
Roar Pro
Because of time differences Mid, you won't get any PG, WP or AU home games live on SBS.
West
Roar Pro
Good points kellett and don't get me wrong, I think its great that SBS are showing Friday night live games. I'm excited and at the same time curious as to what Friday night games we will get.
West
Roar Pro
Exactly Fuss its a national broadcast and SBS are unlikely to cater for a local game and its impact on attendances. But I suspect Fox and SBS will want the highest TV rating teams and markets to feature as often as possible.
West
Roar Pro
Good point Michael, who knows what will happen by the season's end and if Wellington are playing Perth in Round 27 for the Premiership decider? Anyway that's the same for all competitions when the draw is set, because it won't be changed. WIll be very interested to see the fixture list when its released by FFA and what Friday night games we are getting. If I'm not at the game, I'm certain to be at home watching on SBS.
West
Roar Pro
Spot on. Because of the time difference and that the Friday Live game will be shown at the same time every week, Perth, Wellington and Adelaide home games will not be shown live on SBS, so there will be no Friday night home games for these clubs, assuming Fox and FFA retain their only one game every Friday format. It also means you won't see PG v WP or PG v AU or AU v WP as the Friday night live game. These clubs will only appear live on FTA in away games to the clubs on the Eastern seaboard of Australia, which in itself raises some interesting questions about interest, ratings potential etc..
West
Roar Pro
Exactly, Sydney has the biggest TV market by far and SFC were actually the highest rating team on Fox last season, especially with ADP signing on for another season.
Midfielder
Guest
Boom Boom
West
Roar Pro
Thanks Dave, I'm hopeful that it doesn't impact attendances either and that exposure on SBS will even increase the number of fans, especially when 4 of the 5 games are still only on Fox. Maybe the SBS broadcasts will even increase Foxtel subscriptions if it whets their appetites and they want to see more A-League? Its important though that the FTA games are of good quality and entertainment value.
West
Roar Pro
The NRL example is important, because it shows what influence the broadcaster has with the scheduling of the sport. They paid the money, so they get to choose what they want to show and that's why you get 18 nights of Broncos on a Friday night on Channel nine in one season. Will this happen with Fox and the A-League and what can the clubs and FFA do about it?
West
Roar Pro
Thanks Fuss, Despite what the CEO of SBS says, SBS don't schedule matches, FFA and Fox do and Fox tells FFA what time to play the games to fit in with Fox's broadcast schedule. I haven't seen any definition from either party on what the "biggest match" means. Also my point is, who chooses the "biggest match" and what happens if Fox doesn't agree. I believe SBS are going to take the Fox match feed with their own SBS commentators, to save broadcast costs. If there is disagreement on which game Fox broadcasts on Friday, then can't see SBS winning any arguments over Fox.
West
Roar Pro
If the game gets higher TV ratings the clubs and FFA don't get any more money, Fox and SBS does from its advertisers, because advertising rates are based on the ratings. Whereas if the attendances are higher, the A-League clubs and FFA get more money and not Fox or SBS, assuming ratings have not gone up. Therefore Fox wants higher ratings, while clubs want higher attendances.
West
Roar Pro
Thanks Alexander and for your support of the Wanderers. Your situation is a little different and I assume that with the live Friday night game on FTA there will be a whole new audience that the A-League will try and target. If the games aren't good quality or without that great atmosphere then they won't attract as much following. So I think the choice of Friday night games is now very important. But agree that the best way to see a blockbuster game is at the ground, if you can get tickets.
Cameron
Roar Guru
Beat you to it Cap :)
Cappuccino
Roar Guru
It's important to remember that having blockbuster Friday night games can actually be a very good thing for Foxtel- more people are exposed to the A-League's best matches and so more people will be encouraged to go for the "full package" and subscribe for Fox.
Matt F
Roar Guru
Does any sport in Australia still do this? Even cricket has stopped that strategy, or at least they have in Sydney