The chance of a major free-to-air network purchasing the remaining broadcast rights for the A-League is still alive with Channel Seven looming as a late option to televise the competition next season.

In what appears to be Football Federation Australia's last attempt to directly sell the A-League rights to a major network, Seven is set to return to the negotiating table to challenge ABC and Fox Sports for the last remaining portion of the TV deal.

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Fairfax Media understands there is a late push from the network to obtain the free-to-air component of the broadcast rights to televise the Saturday A-League match live, likely on one of its secondary channels. The move comes with the backing of all 10 A-League club owners who are eager to have their games televised on a network for the first time in the competition's history, providing a greater audience reach and promotion for the game.

Senior officials from Seven's management attended the A-League grand final between Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory on May 7.

However, any bid from Seven won't likely come in at the FFA's value of the rights and is all but certain to fall under the current price SBS has paid for the last four years of between $7 million and $9 million. The FFA rejected an initial proposal from Seven early in the sale of the rights but is understood to be open to renegotiating terms.

Sources suggest the FFA rebuked Seven's original proposal to obtain the A-League rights which included largely a contra deal that offered little cash. Under that earlier proposal, Seven would broadcast the Saturday night game in exchange for significant promotion of the competition.

Should a new agreement be struck between the FFA and Seven, it would likely be for a significantly smaller sum than the governing body's initial asking price.

It is already braced for a significant drop in the income for the FTA component of the rights, which could yield as little as $2 million in cash each season over the course of the next six years.

The FFA made a late approach to the ABC to purchase the rights for the A-League knowing it would attract a greater audience than currently on SBS 2. However, significant commercial complications could arise from the game being televised on the public broadcaster which does not show advertisements.

Should the FFA fail to sell the rights directly to a FTA network, Fox Sports will obtain the rights entirely for as little as an additional $2 million per season, on top of the $57 million it pays as the majority broadcaster on Pay TV. Fox will then on-sell the required FTA component of the deal independently of the FFA. In such an event, a partnership with Channel Ten is the most likely outcome, which will see one A-League game per week televised on the network with the remaining games exclusive to Fox Sports, whose owners Foxtel own 14.9 per cent of Channel Ten.

Fairfax Media sought comment from the FFA.

FFA is about the money. 

Lets say they do go onto 7 it will hardly be fair for teams like CCM, NJ, WP and PG. 

Im pretty sure if you look at Saturday night games from the past few years they always include SFC WSW or MV. Except for the odd AU v BR game. This means more sponsorship for these teams.  #scrapcap

:exclamation:

Any contract would stipulate games must be broadcast live. It won't be like how it was.

In a perfect situation they would at least show the GF live on their main channel and have no AFL games up against. 

ABC's main channel gets higher ratings than seven's lesser channels so wouldn't that be the preferable option? I know there's a question of demographics, but I wouldn't think seven is bringing in the young'ns much more than ABC is.

Disregarding any history; I'm pretty sure Seven televises one of the Saturday night games from the AFL (not 100% sure - I watch all my AFL on Foxtel).  This is the only reason I would be against it.  Soccer needs to be on a main channel, not secondary

if the ffa write the contract i could imagine it would be stipulated that they show at least 3 seconds of a match a week

of course it is. :P when are they not about money?

Not sure how I feel .... I have hardly watched 7 since the famous internal memo ... make a point of not watching it because of their anti Football stance...

Here's a prediction:

All those people who hate 7 and swear they never watch it, will do backflips of joy if 7 pick up one game of HAL.

This one is a no brainer.

Fuck no.

Yeah stoked to watch Channel 7 get another crack at killing off the sport to buddy up to the AFL. It's a fact in history that they ran the NSL in to the ground by self imposing a media blackout for that very reason. Never again. Would rather channel 10 or exclusively Foxtel. Any day of the week, twice on sunday.

The more important issue is getting thoose bloody epl rights away from the money grabbing optus
Wtf they force you to have to buy mobile plans just to receive acess to watching the epl and its the only way (and one game evrey week from the sbs) u can watch it in Australia

7 cant buy it for 2 mil surely
For the good of Australian football even though we have feelings for sbs as the provider of Australian football coverage and its given us great moments, chanel seven would likley increase viewership and possible growth of the A-league unfortunately.....as long as the sbs broad cast socceroos games and epl games and continue doing their pannel stuff its fine

"Yeah stoked to watch Channel 7 get another crack at killing off the sport to buddy up to the AFL. It's a fact in history that they ran the NSL in to the ground by self imposing a media blackout for that very reason. Never again. Would rather channel 10 or exclusively Foxtel. Any day of the week, twice on sunday. "

Yeah ok.

Sit in your cubby house hoping that soon-to-be-bankrupt channel 10 will ride in and rescue us.

Considering the FFA is still in a weak bargaining position while Channel 7 really doesn't need the A-League if they can get BBL or broadcast more AFLW, you don't think substandard scheduling and presentation of A-League games is a significant concern?

Sell it back to Fox. FTA is dying anyway, no one watches that shit except people over 40+.

I really don't care where the FTA rights end up so long as it delivers the best potential viewing audience. If channel 7 are more willing to show a-league games than any of the other FTA channels then that is our best option. Who cares if they fucked the NSL over 15-20 years ago? That's ancient history now. Any one of the FTA channels could have executives more willing to try and bury the a-league. The FFA need to make sure they get the deal right so that it doesn't happen and then work to ensure their product is more than worthy of the deal they signed.

@rbb

They're the people with all the money. They also have children and grandchildren. It wouldn't be so bad to educate them to know basic soccer facts. Like the offside rule and what a Matt Simon is.

Does anyone else think the offer of promoting the league with no payment was a good deal?

As long as you had guarantees of billboards, news reports, etc  it would generate a lot more money by sponsorship than if they got the 2 million and also build the viewership for the next rights

@jay

FFA are about the money. It may result in more sponsorship for clubs which is nothing for them. They are probably locked into their deals. Hyandai Etc

Do the FFA charge the clubs licencing fees? If so they could recoup TV money losses by increasing the clubs' fees in line with increased individual revenues each club gets from the increase in exposure.

@chill

Yes. They want to give the clubs $29 million per year and PFA has quoted $10 million to run the league.

The tv deal is $56 million per year. This means the FFA will take a $17 million license or we can say "administrative" fee from clubs/league system.

They will receive iirc $3 million per year if it goes back to FOXTEL so I can't see them choosing publicity over $18 million over 6 years. Money they use on "projects".


The also charge the teams money made from sponsorship of the league, finals income and merchandise fees.

I told ya. ABC is our best bet. Fuck the Murdock packer money hungry cujts.

Probably just put us up against Women's AFL to try and bring us down.

Or their trip to China opened their eyes to how big football really is..

That's the thing though. If they did pick up the rights to the A-League, they would no longer be anti-football. In order to promote their product, they will become very pro-football. 

It would be a mistake to view the FTA component as anything other than increasing exposure for the game. Perhaps one day, if it is successful the FTA rights will attain a value but it this stage it is about getting the game out there on the most suitable and appreciative provider.