The Socceroos face Kuwait on Wednesday morning as they take their first steps towards the 2022 World Cup, but we won’t see the game on free-to-air TV.
It’s tempting to wonder who exactly is in charge of football at the moment.
Football Federation Australia should of course be looking after our various national teams.
However, losing control of the A-League will put a significant dent in their budget, which is probably why they’re keen to get involved in the creation of a second division.
It makes qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar all the more vital for a sport that has had to fight hard to cobble together a decent cash flow in recent years.
Yet reaching the finals of four World Cups in a row has had a disappointing but predictable effect on fans who dip in and out on following the fortunes of the national team.
They’ve stopped caring.
If joining the Asian Football Confederation was supposed to turn the Socceroos into a more battle-hardened unit, it’s largely been a success.
But it’s also exposed the Socceroos to plenty of nations many Australians would struggle to point out on a map.
And there’s long been a sense that some Aussies really don’t appreciate watching the Socceroos lose in far-flung destinations.
Which perhaps goes some way towards explaining why there’s been little discussion of the fact that the only way you’ll see the Socceroos kick off their World Cup campaign is if you have a subscription of some sort.
(Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
Is that a problem?
It’s not for people like me, one of the dwindling few with an on-going Fox Sports subscription.
And having seen the English Premier League spirited away exclusively to Optus Sport this season, there’s no reason to think fans can’t equally find their way to Foxtel’s own streaming service, Kayo.
But it’s a bit of a worry when the national team prepares to kick off another World Cup campaign with no free-to-air broadcast deal in place and very few fans seem to notice.
And it’s hard to see how the next generation can be inspired to take up the game if they can’t even watch it on TV.
Of course, one reason the Socceroos have inspired indifference over the past couple of years is that this squad is nowhere near as good as the one that made it all the way to the Round of 16 in Australia’s first finals appearance for decades.
Where the 2006 team was jam-packed with world-class international stars, Graham Arnold’s side is decidedly more workmen-like.
And it’s hard to escape the feeling that for much of mainstream Australia, watching the Socceroos match it with the world’s best in Germany was enough.
We haven’t won a game at either of the past two World Cup finals and had to take an interim coach in Bert van Marwijk to Russia.
Add in the game’s domestic struggles of late and it’s clear more than a few fans have hopped off the bandwagon.
Yet even the act of suggesting as much feels like a disservice to the current squad.
If Graham Arnold can only send out the best talent that’s available to him, then surely the least fans can do is support them?
But the lack of free-to-air coverage makes it that much harder.
And with so many other entertainment options available, we can hardly be too surprised if not everyone goes out of their way to tune into the Socceroos.
It’s somewhat of a moot point on Wednesday given that the game kicks off in the early hours of the morning, but the clash with Nepal in Canberra on October 10 is a different story.
And the question football needs to ask itself is one we’ve all heard before: does locking the Socceroos behind a paywall hurt the game, or simply help finance it?
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
The Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Broadcasting Reform) Act 2017 was enacted on 16 October 2017. https://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/changes-to-media-control-and-diversity-rules You can read in further detail about the amendments here: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2017A00113 This is the original Bill: https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Fems%2Fr5907_ems_978e8b30-1d13-4ced-bfc2-428f25095021%22;src1=sm1 Our government couldn’t run a meat raffle, let alone update its websites.
Pivot to basketball
Guest
Basketball seems to be where SBS is headed. As far as I can make out soccer is an Optus sport now.
THe Hunter
Roar Rookie
Hi everyone. It is your lucky day unless the internet breaks! Under pressure, FFA must have made this happen. You're welcome! Enjoy. Go Socceroos Watch Caltex Socceroos v Kuwait live, free & on-demand - FFA Media - 6 hrs ago The Caltex Socceroos are about to embark on their journey towards the FIFA World Cup 2022™, and you can watch the first step in that quest live, free and on-demand. https://www.socceroos.com.au/news/watch-caltex-socceroos-road-qatar-live-and-demand
fabian gulino
Roar Rookie
I would rather get some sleep than watch an out of sort of a coach and the boring roos,they wont qualify for 2022 world cup.
nk
Guest
Why is SBS not picking those games up?
Nemesis
Guest
I'd be keen to read the 2017 Amendment that you're referencing. The only 2017 Amendment I can find is to the actual list of events that the Minister protects under the ASL, which was updated in October 2017. The relevant legislation that creates the protection of certain programs is found in s115 of Broadcasting Services Act 1992. The stuff I placed in italics about multi-channels is cut & pasted directly from the Department of Communications & the Arts. I don't keep up-to-date with this Department's website, but I'd be surprised if they would leave factually incorrect information visible for so long. Anti Siphon Legislation http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/cth/consol_act/bsa1992214/s115.html
Neil
Roar Rookie
I warned about this.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
I think you’ll find you’re using outdated information. For example, free-to-air broadcasters can premier content on their digital multichannels. It’s called the ‘multi-channelling rule’, which was one of many amendments made in 2017.
George Lancaster
Guest
I, and many of my peers, have been there for The Socceroos since inception supporting them with bums on seats, verbal promotion and anything else we could do in our modest way to promote the game and team we love. Many of us cannot afford the luxury of paid subscriptions and rely on FTA TV to watch The Socceroos play. To not have that option tells me that somewhere along the line dollars and cents have come to outweigh the patience and loyalty of grass roots fans. Off course money is important to the growth of the game but, conversely, is disaffecting long standing, eager supporters like myself a fair return for years of loyalty?
chris
Guest
Nem you wonder what drives these people to keep b ashing football in this country yet it is still as strong as ever. I guess when you're the biggest these miserable folks just have to spread their, as you say, alt, fake news.
Winnie the Pooh (Emperor of China)
Guest
Interesting to note too the announcement that SBS would be broadcasting two NBA matches a week, plus the local NBL competition. It is great that SBS is sticking with sport as soccer just wants too much money which SBS cannot afford. Good luck to soccer, but going the pay tv direction is a great way of making your sport invisible in my opinion.
Nemesis
Guest
"NBL is going gangbusters and this year SBS along with another FTA broadcaster are paying the NBL to broadcast their game." ALT Fact. Fake news. NBL is not being paid a cent for the broadcast rights. In fact, from what is reported NBL produces the video & gives it to SBS for free. Then SBS & NBL share the ad revenue. The viewing numbers for NBL on SBS Viceland are worse than A-League. The viewing numbers for NBL on Foxtel are horrible. As a result Foxtel cut the NBL from its programming, even though Foxtel was paying $0 for the rights. So, Foxtel had the opportunity to get NBL for free, but it said "no thanks. we'd rather not have it at all"
Nemesis
Guest
The 2010 World Cup Qualifiers were exclusive to Pay Tv. So, were the 3rd round of WCQs for 2014 World Cup. SBS got the rights for the 4th Round. It was a deal done in early 2013 that coincided with the new TV deal for ALeague which commenced for Season 2013/14 that also put ALeague on FTA TV for the first time. Regardless. Even if WCQs were on the anti-siphon list it doesn't mean FTA TV has to buy them. And, even worse, if FTA TV does buy rights for events on the ASL, it doesn't mean FTA TV has to broadcast the event live. They can broadcast it on delay; or never broadcast. This is the explanation given by the Department of Communications & the Arts: "Free-to-air broadcasters don’t have to buy the rights to events on the list. Even if they do buy the rights, they don’t have to use them: they could broadcast the event later or not at all. If they do buy the rights, free-to-air broadcasters can’t premier (or exclusively show) it on their digital multichannels."
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
I think you'll find this is a direct result of the proposed amendments made back in 2017 to the anti-siphoning laws. FIFA World Cup Qualifiers involving Australia, played outside of Australia, were removed from the anti-siphoning list. It has always been a delicate balance for the Communications Minister to weigh up the commercial benefits vs public interest. That and the political pressure, which often follows, should a particular sport/event not be on this list or removed from it. The Communications Minister, in this instance, felt that the public interest was not significant enough to deny the commercial gains offered by a paywall. It's that simple.
Amazon
Roar Rookie
Agree Rolland My view is that the Cricket Team and the Wallabies have always had & will always be FTA visible. The appetite for these teams is strong if not insatiable. The socceroos have peaked many times in terms of viewer appetite however never quite reaching year round TV commercial appeal. Having said that ..................FIFA World Cup is the exception - but the early qualifiers are very Ho Hum
rolland
Guest
and there lies the problem with football in this country hidden behind paywalls to minuscule audiences who are so small is it really worth killing the brand off for the sake of a few extra bucks . Our national team and their success is the key to our sport growing and flourishing in this country those days are long gone when they were on SBS or other fta channels the MCG would be sold out .Today its a different story sight unseen behind a paywall its killed the game the brand that is the socceroos . the majority do not have pay tv will never have pay tv so why is there no socceroos games on FTA if thats where the majority of the audience is . look at Basketball in this country it was dead they gave the rights for free to channel nine suddenly their game was exposed to a mass audience and that league the NBL is going gangbusters and this year SBS along with another FTA broadcaster are paying the NBL to broadcast their game .FFA are hopeless clowns
Bilbo
Guest
Totally understand. I'd say the same thing to people who would respond with bad luck, people can just stream it now. Well not everyone has a smartphone or a chromecast/apple TV and would know what to do with it.
chris
Guest
It doesn't seem to be impacting participation rates at all!
chris
Guest
lol
Scott Pryde
Expert
Yup - 1:30am (AEST). I'd recommend our Socceroos fixtures page.