ABC firms for free-to-air soccer rights
No official bids for free-to-air A-League rights came before the Easter deadline.
No official bids for free-to-air A-League rights came before the Easter deadline. Getty Images
by
John Stensholt
Max Mason
Football Federation Australia has failed to entice the three commercial free-to-air television networks into bidding for A-League and Socceroos matches, leaving the ABC in the box seat to gain the rights.
Seven West Media, Nine Entertainment, Network Ten and current FTA rights holder SBS are understood to have not lodged an official bid with the FFA by last Thursday's deadline, having baulked at some FFA requirements such as having to pay Fox Sports $2 million in annual production costs.
It is understood and FFA and ABC are in discussions.
Sources have told The Australian Financial Review that there had been "multiple bids" for rights, but that could mean Telstra has also lodged a bid for streaming rights.
The Financial Review revealed tender documents had been recently sent to the market and though FFA and its advisers Adana Partners held discussions with Seven, Nine and Ten, no official bids eventuated.
The big three broadcasters are understood to have tried to broker a deal with the FFA but not for the price or terms the body wanted.
The ABC therefore has emerged as a leading contender to secure the rights, which begin later this year.
The FFA and the national broadcaster declined to comment.
The news comes as the A-League enters its final series this weekend in the last year of what is a $160 million four-year deal with Fox Sports and SBS.
Deal unlikely
The relationship between the FFA and SBS has become fractured over the last four years and the prospect of renewing the deal has always been unlikely.
Before the 2015-16 A-League season, it looked as though SBS might sell the free-to-air rights to Nine, Seven or Ten, but a deal never materialised.
The A-League, which had been moved to SBS's main channel during the second year of the deal, was moved back to SBS2 for the 2015-16 season.
"It's been reasonably well documented that FFA and SBS have explored alternatives," FFA chief executive David Gallop said at the time.
Fox Sports has already signed a record $346 million broadcast deal, but the FFA had hoped to strike a free-to-air deal by May.
In the event the FFA, ABC, or any other free-to-air broadcaster can't work out a deal, the rights revert to Fox Sports for an extra $2 million to $4 million per year.
Fox Sports could still later on-sell the rights to another broadcaster, sources said Ten is in the mix, as it currently does with Nine and Socceroos matches.
Foxtel, which is 50-50 owned by News Corporation and Telstra, owns 14.9 per cent of Ten. Fox Sports is fully owned by News Corp.
Focus on cricket
The proposed free-to-air deal is said to be worth about $2 million to the FFA, but will also require an additional $2 million to be paid by the free-to-air rights holder to Fox Sports for production.
The deal is expected to have one Saturday evening A-League match, to be simulcast with Fox Sports, some Socceroos 2022 World Cup qualifiers and friendlies, Matildas, W-League, club friendly matches and an expansion clause, allowing for new teams to enter the A-League. It may also include exhibition matches played in Australia featuring international teams.
While Nine, Ten and Seven are all understood to have mulled bids, the challenge for the commercial networks was the A-League match was not exclusive, did not have catch-up or replay rights and there are questions over which matches are included.
Nine and Ten will also have their focus on broadcast rights for cricket, of which the negotiations are expected to pick up over the coming months.
Nine is keen to get its hands on the Big Bash League, which Ten holds, and the price is expected to balloon from the $20 million per year under the current deal to as much as $60 million per year.
It also wants to keep the rights to international Test matches and limited overs games which it currently holds.
http://www.afr.com/business/media-and-marketing/tv/abc-firms-for-freetoair-soccer-rights-20170419-gvnv3y