Fox Sports hands out the cash, but how many hands are grabbing?

Sorry Caltex, I have been away for a few days. I was looking at club football in Sydney, not school football, and particularly not Catholic school football which, in the grand scheme of things, would have been more than irrelevant. In 1958 I played for Padstow United U/16's in the Bankstown Junior Association. Other teams were Bankstown Celtic, North Bankstown, East Bankstown, Yagoona, Riverwood, Revesby Rovers, Panania Wanderers, East Hills Migrant Camp, and at least one other (no byes), possibly more. Canterbury had it's own junior association, with a similar spread of teams, such that it was not necessary for it to join forces with Bankstown. Sydney had a proliferation of vibrant junior soccer associations, necessitated by the sheer volume of players. There was a similar proliferation of soccer fields (just about every suburb had at least one), whilst RL fields were few and scattered, and RU fields even more so. Catholic schools definitely promoted RL, but they accounted for a small proportion of the student population. The rest were served by the state school system, where soccer enjoyed a strong following. Stronger than RL? Can't say, but quite possibly yes. Certainly, soccer was described as the "sleeping giant" of Australian sport by the Sydney press before I left school.

@Sydneysider - of course. That's business for you. I'm certainly not saying that the AFL is going to take over NSW anytime soon, or that the NRL is going to control Vic, but I think they both have to try. I'm not totally convinced about the strategy for where the A League should expand, but expand it must and will. Personally, I think Wollongong is the place to go - that would be extending a solid existing market rather than striking out into the unknown, and it wouldn't be cannibalizing Sydney teams either. But, that's just my opinion and nothing more. I just think folks need to recognize that times change, populations change, and "that's the way it's always been" isn't a good business model.

" I do not understand why you seem to think that those market shares are immutable and unchanging, fixed in stone for ever more. The whole point, for both codes, is to expand into areas where they are weak," Fair enough, and that is what football is trying to do as well, but of course the AFL posters on here deride the FFA and basically dismiss any notion that the A League could become more popular across the country and get bigger crowds and ratings. For me, I believe the GWS Giants are a massive waste of money and will fail, but the afl are entitled to expand. An A League team in Tasmania or Wollongong could work. Anyway, merry Xmas to all.

Wouldn't expect revenue metrics to be included in any Annual Report. Revenue metrics are internal measurements used to benchmark efficency & productivity. Revenue per FTE, is one of the most fundamental metrics clients will request when they're asked to slash costs.

Ill be honest. Read many an annual report in my day, and ive NEVER seen revenue per worker listed as a metric.

Optus does have the capacity to broadcast subscription tv. I think its even doing it now with something called the EPL. What would have killed other providers is the production cost.

Casper In terms of total annual revenue, it's more like a billion dollar differential.

You mean Optus, twitter, facebook and youtube had no interest?

Hey Rick, c'mon mate, it's the University of Sofia, the oldest higher education institution in Bulgaria.

You could have also added that the list size you are using for the AFL is wrong. Its 38 on the primary list + a maximum of 9 rookies. A team can have up to 47 players on a list. I dont think 30 is correct for NRL list sizes either. Some teams list up to 40 players in their full squads. In any case, Foxsports are paying for content. Not players. Which is why this article is a little off the beaten path. And we arent just talking about games shown in the main leagues home and away season. Which is also why people measuring by the hour should have a very strong rethink. The FFA deal isnt just for the FFA, but also the FFA Cup and W-league. Not just the mens competiton. The AFL deal is for the AFL and its preseason. (And now includes AFL Womens) The NRL deal is for the NRL, Nines, NSW Cup/NSW Schoolboys,. The ARU deal is for Superrugby, the NRC and tests.

has it in fact been confirmed there was no other interested party?

My question also... The whole piece reminds me of playground discussions I remember from primary school where it was opined that ants were the mightiest critters in the ... whole werlllttt ! - because they could lump around weights 40(?) times their own !!!!!!!!!

Fair enough. For me it's nothing to with following codes. I like football because i enjoy the sport. It could be 2 teams playing in a park. I enjoy the contest that football provides. I'm also watch a fair bit of Field Hockey, European Handball & Water Polo during the Summer Olympics. If AFL, tennis are on the TV at a friend's house I'm happy to stay involved & watch. By contrast, I simply don't get any enjoyment from cricket, golf, rugby, RL, baseball & a whole range of other sports. If they're on TV, I'll actively leave the room & go talk to someone else who is not watching.

I think you under-rate people that follow actual teams, not codes. For instance during the winter I follow Carlton in the AFl religiously, but unless theres a particularly engrossing AFL match on, Ill almost always watch my Reds in their Super fixture, or even the Broncos (Im a Queenslander).