Depending on your online persona, the A-League Men’s opening round was either the dawn of a new era that will save football in Australia, or the worst thing to ever happen to humanity.
It’s safe to say Paramount+ has a few kinks to iron out.
The lack of a dedicated app for a sizeable range of smart TVs isn’t a great start. When it came to sitting down to watch the first game on Friday night, many fans didn’t actually know how to.
And Melbourne City’s 2-1 win over Brisbane Roar was entertaining enough, even if a certain refereeing decision deserves further discussion.
The first major problems for Paramount+ occurred on Saturday night, when the coverage of Melbourne Victory’s 1-0 win over Western United in Geelong was plagued by technical issues.
Plenty of us were oblivious because we were watching the Sydney derby on Channel Ten anyway, which produced an engaging but entirely predictable scoreless draw.
There was nothing wrong with Channel Ten’s broadcast, apart from the fact that crosses to the other game in Geelong were non-existent.
And it’s worth reminding ourselves why Ten ViacomCBS purchased the rights to the A-League in the first place.
Plenty of fans were annoyed by the idea of two Saturday night games kicking off at the same time. Yet Paramount+’s entire business model revolves around selling subscriptions.
They aren’t simulcasting two games on one night to appeal to hardcore A-League fans who already have subscriptions, they’re trying to convert casual viewers who might be watching the main game on Channel Ten and decide they want to see more.
The whole broadcast would have made more sense if they had crossed between the two games, but as it turns out they were struggling to produce vision of the clash in Geelong.
It prompted a mea culpa on social media that was reminiscent of the outcry around Optus Sport’s disastrous World Cup coverage in 2018.
Their coverage has since gone on to improve drastically and the telco dropped a huge bombshell late last week when they announced they had retained the rights to the English Premier League for another six years.
This was the streaming revolution we all supposedly wanted, so we can’t act surprised when a non-linear broadcaster fails to dish up the exact same quality as the previous rights holder.
At any rate, it was the F3 derby that ended up being the pick of the round as the Central Coast Mariners stunned the Newcastle Jets – and ruined my tips once again – with a 2-1 win in the driving rain at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Josh Nisbet finally bagged his first A-League goal and Jacob Farrell crashed home a second from a diving header in what was a pulsating encounter under sodden skies in Newcastle.
Joshua Nisbet of the Mariners (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)
Macarthur then drew 1-1 with Wellington at the same venue under farcical circumstances, after it turned out the pitch at Campbelltown Stadium is evidently unplayable.
This is what happens when you rely on local councils to support football in Australia.
But while certain things are beyond the A-League Men’s control, Danny Townsend and his administration should have a serious think about how they’re currently using VAR.
Let’s be real here, Brisbane Roar were robbed of a point when Kai Trewin’s late header was chalked out for offside by the VAR after he apparently strayed offside by a fraction of a millimetre in the 2-1 defeat to City.
And the APL would do well not to fall into the trap of previous regimes in believing that only clubs from Sydney and Melbourne matter.
There’s a growing resentment in cities like Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth about how their clubs are being treated.
And the persistent use of the VAR to chalk off goals for the most marginal of infractions is ruining the entertainment.
At least the coverage will only get better.
As a complex opening round attests, things are never so binary in the A-League as to simply be ‘good’ or ‘bad’ based on one weekend of football.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Lot more than three. Considering Paramount give you shows + sport its incredibly cheap not just low. Why haven't you reviewed the sport streaming service, the one with Austrian bundesliga, and of all things Serbian rugby league. It might have gone broke by now but I would like to see what you thing. The only Serbian rugby league I saw on youtube looked in 300x200 resolution with one camera.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
schedule filler? Streaming doesn't have a schedule to fill. I didnt have an issue with the three matches I watched, all looked great. Whether Paramount+ cares or not is not relevant. FoxSports never promoted the A-league and thats the major difference, News have their own sporting agenda in Australia and its not promoting the A-league, 10 and Paramount have done more then they did for the last 15 years already. Paramount at least have shown some sense in promoting what they have.
BennoFootball
Roar Rookie
It was ALWAYS ‘ South East Coast ‘ Bias. The fact that We in Brisbane are on the East coast means that We cop ALL The Bias AGAINST US so that they ( South-East Coast ) can be cleansed of ALL THEIR SINS!!! We in Brisbane can’t possibly know ANYTHING about FOOTBALL …. Can WE??? FORZA BRISBANE ROAR FOOTBALL CLUB!!!
Justin Mahon
Roar Rookie
And to this this is just the start. You can see the scope that has.
Justin Mahon
Roar Rookie
It's 50' on a train and about the same in a car. I CANT get to arts f SE Melbourne is that time from the the inner West where I live. Until WU settle down, it's a decent option.
Justin Mahon
Roar Rookie
Asian people struggle with my Irish name and while I tend to nail Greek Ames for some reason, I am lost with many Slavic names. The issue isn't Australians - it's humans.
Justin Mahon
Roar Rookie
Yep. All there issues prior to the content leaving the ground rest with the APl. TO e fair they got on top of them quickly. You saw the difference when 10 did the FTA game. Quality from the first minute. It is fair to critique Paramount for Friday game frame rate and for the app functionality however.
Midfielder
Roar Guru
thanks for posting that link Waz... great pick up and good news
Justin Mahon
Roar Rookie
GYD is quality. I think her strength is particularly in the tactical asect of the game. I was pleasently surprised, and glad I chose to listen. Archie is good tactically, and on player insights, but far less consistent. He is there for the lols also to be fair to him.i can't believe I am saying I like brosque and I can take or leave Milligan.
Midfielder
Roar Guru
ABC was rating 50K so 146 is 3 times a large… even without the Paramount + game game at the same time… my guess is they got well over 200K for both 10 and Paramount.
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
Had to wind josh up somehow!
Justin Mahon
Roar Rookie
AMEN to this.
Justin Mahon
Roar Rookie
My lad loves it.... I find it very catchy. That is an old guy word....
Midfielder
Roar Guru
thanks
Waz
Roar Rookie
Meradith & Kossie aren’t my beef lol
Jordan Sports Fan
Roar Rookie
Good news but can you get two teams up in a year? Less by the time they pull the trigger. Perhaps start the season after the World Cup in January to buy a bit of extra time. Canberra and Gold Coast for mine although would love to see Tasmania.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
They can probably bring in $45 million with the sale of 2 licenses. The 12 clubs would share $30 million of that, so that's $2.5 million each. The new equity partners would take the other $15 million, earning themselves a very quick 50% pay back.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
Thanks for the heads up
Para+Ten ISUZU Subway support Australian Football
Roar Rookie
Nick Meredith and Kosmina: (boring) so that's your beef? Yes I can see you may have perhaps a tad bit of jealousy in your posts in that, you don't have the likes of a Kenny Lowe in Brisbane---no local identity with passion. I revisited the highlights vid of the Perth Glory vs Adelaide commentary with Kenny Lowe and thought: wow he wears his heart on his sleeve. I thought it was great! Great for the locals over there to unite behind. As long as the main commentator is neutral and unbias it's find with me.
jbinnie
Guest
FIL- Having grown just a little tired about reading of this Roar "youthful" team I took it upon myself to cast an eye over the 11 that took the field against City. Surprise, surprise, the average age of that 11 was 24, and when it is remembered that Aldred, and new man Lescano , would have played had they been fit, their combined years would have lifted the average to 26,hardly what one would describe as "youthful". Even the use of 5 subs in like for like changes would not have altered the average age by more than a few years. To my thinking the word "youthful" brings to mind Dennis Law playing with Huddersfield at 15, and George Best with United at 18. Whilst it is nice to romanticise lets stick to the facts,. Give these kids at Roar a chance to gain experience without boosting their egos. Cheers jb.