There are too many professional sports teams in Australia and FFA should start poaching sponsors from other codes.
Australia has a small population and an overcrowded sports market, which makes it difficult for anyone to survive.
FFA need to have the killer instinct and try to take sponsors off struggling rival codes.
The BBL, AFL, NRL, NBL, Super Rugby, Super Netball and the A-League have 72 professional teams between them.
The BBL is still growing and will only get stronger, but Test cricket is going the way of the dodo. The crowds that showed up at the SCG would have looked better at North Sydney Oval or maybe even Drummoyne.
Netball is unique in being the only professional sport where the women’s competition is the highest level of the sport, so they should be safe.
But the sick man of Australian sport, rugby union, looks like dying. The FFA Cup gets double the number of viewers as the National Rugby Championship on Foxtel and the code is rapidly losing players.
To a lesser extent, rugby league is also struggling, especially with poor crowds in its traditional heartland of Sydney, and a number of NRL teams are in a bad situation financially.
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AFL is of course the juggernaut of Australian sport and won’t fall over anytime soon, but there are weak spots like the Gold Coast, Western Sydney, Brisbane, Port Adelaide, North Melbourne and St Kilda.
Basketball has lost 24 teams over the years and is simply a basket case.
The V8 Supercars are now just called ‘Supercars’ due to rule changes and have lost many fans since becoming a silhouette series. Finding circuits that are suitable to race on is another problem.
FFA need to target the sick and the weak, and attempt to bring their sponsorship money over to the A-League where it can be better used.
A-League in business
Melbourne Victory have a corporate networking initiative called ‘Victory in Business’ to link sponsors with the club. This has become the largest corporate network of any football club of any code in Australia.
FFA should set up an ‘A-League in Business’ group, with the objective of trying to poach sponsors from other sports. Through ALIB, FFA can promote the opportunities the World Game can offer sponsors, and get them to shift their money to the A-League.
While it might be unlikely that an entire code like the AFL or NRL could collapse, rugby union is a dying sport and the FFA Cup gets twice the number of viewers as the National Rugby Championship.
It would be much better value for money if the sponsors took their money and put it into an A-League second division instead.
As for the AFL and NRL, there are much better options for sponsors in the A-League than there are in the struggling teams in these codes.
Why would sponsors want to back the Greater Wetern Sydney Giants when they could support a new A-League team in Fairfield, who could reach an audience of millions through the Asian Champions League?
Why sponsor the North Melbourne Kangaroos when you could sponsor a new A-League team in Dandenong, Laverton or Keilor Plains?
Why would sponsors stick with the Raiders when they could back a new A-League team? Especially when Canberra has 30,000 registered players which is more than all the other codes combined.
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And what future is there for motor racing when racing circuits are being targeted and taken over by developers?
What good is it to sponsor a Supercars team for $20 million a year when the same money could turn Perth Glory into a club as big as Victory?
These are just a few examples of where money could be better spent, but if FFA created a group like ALIB then maybe they could actually start to tempt sponsors away from other sports.
As long as the sports market in Australia remains overcrowded the A-League will struggle for money. FFA need to target the sponsors of other sports. That’s where the money to build up the A-League and football in Australia will come from domestically.
valhalla
Guest
soccerinas with a spreadsheet fetish???
Nemesis
Guest
"3rd division EPL" There is not such thing. Do you understand what EPL means? AFL Groupies hanging around football discussions. Is there anything more pathetic?
Martyn
Guest
A League product = 3rd division EPL. Need to improve the product to attract advertising and income.
jarijari
Guest
Here's how the TV money is divided up AFL: $2.5 billion over six years (2017-2022) = $417 million a year NRL: $1.8 billion over five years (2018-2022) = $360 million a year Cricket: $590 million over five years (2013–2017) = $118 million a year English Premier League: $186 million over three years (2016-2018) = $62 million a year A-League: $346 million over six years (2017-2022) = $57.6 million a year Rugby Union: $285 million over five years (2016-2020) = $57 million a year V8 Supercars: $241 million over five years (2016-2020) = $48.2 million a year Australian Open tennis: $40 million over five years (2015-2019) = $8 million a year Here's the top deals around the world (in $Aus) NFL: $38.2 billion over nine years (2014-2022) = $4.25 billion a year NBA: $32.8 billion over nine years (2015-2023) = $3.6 billion a year English Premier League: $11 billion over four years (2016-2019) = $2.75 billion a year Major League Baseball: $16.9 billion over nine years (2014-2022) = $1.88 billion a year Serie A (Italy): $4.22 billion over four years (2015-2018) = $1.05 billion a year Bundesliga (Germany): $3.77 billion over four years (2014-2017) = $943 million a year National Hockey League: $7.14 billion over 12 years (2014-2025) = $595.5 million a year
Jeff dustby
Guest
You guys are both the loser from this conversation
Jeff dustby
Guest
The author tried to say tests are dying - this is not the case Your argument might be true but unrelated
Jeff dustby
Guest
I'm no fan of any football code. I just laugh at you guys measuring each other For the record - I'm sure the a league is attempting to secure big sponsorships and will inevitably do so To frame it as poaching as done by this terrible author just invites silly tit for tat arguing It would be silly to assume DG and others aren't doing their best and don't need advice from nick symonds
Jeff dustby
Guest
Congrats on winning the war Fuss You out in the hard yards and can rightfully claim moral superiority over the minions Share your victory with punter and caltex and Ian
Jeff dustby
Guest
I'm pretty sure he is You like this rubbish because it suits your agenda It's as bad as his others
Jeff dustby
Guest
They aren't, do some research instead of believing rumours
Jeff dustby
Guest
Because Ian, nick has a long list of terrrivle articles like this one. Have a look
valhalla
Guest
sigh ... another soccerina who singurly defines himself by his sport of choice....
Lionheart
Guest
defending their turf? what, on the football tab? I'm pretty sure their turf is on the AFL tab. Insecure and insular, there's just no other terms for them.
Lionheart
Guest
your most popular winter spor is AFL? Like wow, so we can still claim you as an A League fan, being a summer sport we've got a chance, yes. Well done Paul, even if you are a bit slow there, on the math. If you just do seasons/championships it may be easier for you. You'd be pretty amazed if you go check out some HAL stats - Roar has an admirable record, and that would include a far bigger TV audience than the Broncos this year, reached in just one match in China. Indeed, I find more atmosphere at one A League match than I can get in a whole season of NRL and AFL combined. So pleased you fell for AFL too, we all have our place. My League link predates the Broncos, played as a youth for another "big" league club, but after a long career in the military doing some things very few ever will, I found my place right here, following the A League as a Roar fan. And I love it!
valhalla
Guest
let me guess chris ... youre from suburban sydney .... or brisbane ....
Chris
Guest
Dont drag other followers into it. Its only AFL fanboys like you that just have to defend their "turf"
Alicesprings
Guest
Common Ian..gotta admit that was a little funny.
valhalla
Guest
then dont whine like a triggered snowflake when non-a-league fanboys coming on the soccerina tab defending their turf
Chris
Guest
You'll get used to it. Football followers have put up with derogatory remarks from AFL commentators for years and now you can swallow it as well.
punter
Guest
Valhalla, unless you are Mister Football, how would you know. You are new to this tab. If you don't like being being told FACTS, like that football is bigger then AFL in every country in the world bar 1 & even in that 1 country, 1/2 the country doesn't care your piddly little sport, don't visit the football tab.