The rumour is that Fox and FFA are negotiating a new 5 year deal said to be worth $60M a year instead of the current $17M. I have seen the text of what is said to be the Daily Telegraph article. Hopefully this will be in tomorrows paper.

FFA hits a $300m jackpot with Fox
EXCLUSIVE: Val Migliaccio
16 December 2009

Football Federation Australia is on the verge of signing a new deal with pay-TV provider Fox Sports that would pump some $300 million into soccer.

The Daily Telegraph has learned Fox Sports is expected to replace the existing seven-year agreement struck in 2007, with a new deal worth nearly two-and-a-half times as much.

The new agreement is expected to be worth nearly $60 million a year to Football Federation Australia, with negotiations believed to be close to agreeing a five-year term.

Fox's current deal still has four years to run but could be replaced as early as next season.

Fox Sports appears set to secure the same package, which includes Socceroos home internationals, the Asian Cup, the Hyundai A-League and the AFC Champions League once the deal is signed off.

The deal will be seismic for the A-League clubs, hugely increasing their handout from FFA and putting them all on a far more secure financial footing.

It is understood the A-League clubs will each receive an estimated $3 million annual payment, which will directly cover all clubs' wages and expenses under the current $2.25 million salary cap, women's league teams and national youth league teams.

That in turn is likely to attract more investors to the A-League's clubs with financial burdens lessened due to the TV cash injection.

Despite falling crowds this season the ratings for the Socceroos continue to to be a banker for Fox Sports, with excitement generated by Australia's 2018-2022 World Cup bid and the unchallenged hosting rights to holding the international nations 2015 Asian Cup tournament.

FFA chief executive Ben Buckley was yesterday reluctant to talk about the pending TV deal.

"Our current contract with Premier Media Group is set to expire in June 2013," a tight-lipped Buckley said.

"It is our practice not to comment on commercial arrangements outside the contract duration."

Fox Sports chief executive David Malone declined to comment last night on the new contract.

All A-League matches will continue to be screened live on Fox Sports as part of the deal.

With Melbourne Heart entering the A-League next season and Sydney Rovers due to follow in 2011 the competition will be up to 12 teams and possibly 14 by 2018.

The extra teams are expected to force the Asian Football Confederation's hand to increase the A-League's Asian Champions League representation from the current two clubs to four.

It's not known whether the new deal will contain any provision for free-to-air coverage, though FFA chief Frank Lowy has declared his desire to see some of the A-League on a terrestrial station.

The World Cup in South Africa, which kicks off with the Socceroos facing Germany on June 14 next year in Durban, will be broadcast on free-to-air by SBS, which also has the rights to the 2014 Cup.

This is fantastic news....can you post the link

Where I first saw it was on Austadiums and it didn't have a link.

Edited by gyfox: 16/12/2009 08:41:08 PM

So it'll turn our clubs from mostly in the red to mostly in the black. Good news. I hope there is FTA TV coverage, even if it's not live.

Best news I've heard all year.

So.. at a glance..if this is true

NRL TV DEAL= $500 million over 6 years
AFL TV deal= $750 million over 5 years
A-League/Socceroos TV Deal= $300million over 5 years

not a bad starting point considering the relatively small market share the a-league has
and i am sure such a deal would include provisions for matches to be sold to FTA networks.. whether it be live or a match of the week (i'd prefer MOTW to highlight the most exciting games)

If our clubs can at least brake even we should be VERY happy with that. It'll mean a LOT of investors willing to jump on board. If we can get an extra ACL spot it will also mean more money from the massive AFC TV deal.

i can't find this on the website...

http://austadiums.com/

I hope it is not bullshiz. :-(

Joffa, i reckon this is where Gyfox got it. The poster says it will be in the paper, but it isn't online. So the poster typed up the article.

http://www.austadiums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=802&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=7095
I hope this link works

This isn't a DT story, and I question it's legitimacy. Googling the article's title reveals that it only appears in three other places - Unofficial MVFC forum, AUFC Fan Forum and some NZ Media website.

EDIT
Fair enough then, I guess.

Rumour Mill... meh.

Edited by martyB: 17/12/2009 12:18:11 AM

I can see this happening, given Lowy has stated he wanted to look to FTA, those comments alone would have pushed fox to open talks, but I believe Lowy would have some kind of FTA loophole in the deal, even if its one game a week, either way without a decent source it's is just a rumour.

People are getting over excited.

This is a smart move from Fox. Offer to extend the current deal now for a good price, so they don't have to pay shitloads and go up against FTA networks bidding for the HAL and the Socceroos at the end of 2013.

Smart move from Fox, will be interesting to see what the FFA do. Maybe they will hold out and see what they can get in 2013.
Socceroos at the very least need to be on FTA.

i hope not, at least 1 game a week on free to air and socceroos definetly need to be free to air[-o<
if iw as ffa i'd hold out a while, they'd get a lot more money

Trust the roar? http://www.theroar.com.au/2009/12/17/christmas-coming-early-for-football/

wow, the dt has a soccer section.... and a WC section :O
:lol: probs just using it to keep up to date with demetriu's slagging

Wait a minute!!!!!!! I'm 99.9% certain that the socceroos have been put on the Federal Anti-siphoning list effective from the end of the CURRENT deal which ends 2013.

I could be wrong? :^o

Re: this proposed deal, i'm in agreence with Erebus, the FFA should be aiming for their next deal to be ATLEAST as good as the NRL's, by 2013 FFA will be in a way better position to negotiate this.

If this goes ahead this will benefit the clubs greatly. You'd think the money given to clubs would cover all salary cap expenses and also pay some of the travel costs as well

Until it happens however I will doubt it's legitimacy

That deal is shit, if the deal includes everything (A-League, All Socceroos games, Asian Champions League and world cup)

Should be more then AFL deal..

Putting Socceroo games on the anti syphoning list is a really bad move.

Which games are you going to put on there?

World Cup - already there
Asian Cup - fair enough
World Cup qualifiers? Which FTA channel would show every single qualifier, including the ones against Asian minnows at 12pm at night, live and uniterrupted?
Asian Cup qualifiers? Again, which FTA channel would be prepared to show them all?
Friendlies - FTA will pick and choose which ones they want.


ACL?
A-League - I bet they haven't put it on there which defeats the purpose of what everyone is talking about - giving the domestic game more coverage.

The anti-syphoning just takes power away from the FFA to negotiate the largest amount of money possible. The FFA should be able to negotiate which content it wants on FTA versus paytv without government interference.

We will all see the Socceroos on free to air in the World Cup and Asian Cup so what is everyone whinging about? This is enough to hook the average Joe into our game.

Anyone who wants the Socceroos on the anti-syphoning list wants football in Australia crippled before it reaches its potential.

Edited by Ecce: 19/12/2009 03:49:01 PM

Edited by Ecce: 19/12/2009 03:50:21 PM

I tell you what mate, a lot of people would watch any of the games you listed... end of story

Fair question Ecce and I'm inclined to agree except One Digital stands out for me as one which would show ALL those forms of Socceroos internationals LIVE - Well surely it would. With the Socceroos and A-League having to be one of the channels main products above and beyond all the 'foreign suff' like NBA, Golf, Bundesliga, Serie A etc... that they show, as the A-League/Socceroos are 'prime' and 'exclusive' AUSTRALIAN content, which would feature on the sports segments on all channels with their watermark on all the footage. That package could easily turn into something the Channel then builds itself around almost akin to how Ten built itself around The Simpsons/Simpsons Repeats essentially, through the 90s.

Infact with Digital TV - I could also forsee one of Seven's and Nine's multiple Digital channels maybe looking to be more 'sport centric,' so maybe competing with Ten's ONE and therefore also eyeing off the A-League/Socceroos package as a potential centrepiece.

They whole digital/multiple channels angle has brought a whole new dimension to the dynamic of network TV as we see the channels slowly realise the possibilities with new channels like Nine's more youth orientated GO! And Ten's sports orientated ONE.

When one considers this, then one can see the possibilities that could open up for the A-League, come 2013, when coincidently enough, the digital roll out/analogue cut off has just been completed (By 2012 or so) and so near EVERYONE should have access to those multiple digital channels of the networks, their 'freeview.'

Things are never certain though - While the A-League's stock will surely continue to rise, if even a little more slowly now, we've seen how the Global Financial Crisis has had it's effect on the league's crowds somewhat, aswell as some of the backers at A-League clubs, and we don't know what shape the economy will be in by 2013, given how these economic cycles go. Things may not be like they were back in 2007 or so, with the boom and Australia riding high. Though no doubt China will still be requiring our resources for the medium-long term atleast.

With the $300M for 5 years figure, that certainly is a nice improvement, but the stocks of the league aswell as NT have certainly risen dramatically. And I certainly agree with the argument these prized assets of the FFA, may be valued even more, in the open market, in a few years time. But yeah, who knows. It's something the FFA will have to ponder, if this IS true and whether it would be the best move or not. And if they did, am I right in interpreting that that would mean the new deal took the coverage to 2018? If so, then with us possibly hosting the WC around the corner (2022) then the stock of the A-League/NT would surely be far higher than ever, by then, with FTA interest surely guaranteed. So it 'could' be a gamble worth taking?

Foxtel are not stupid they know that these rights will be worth much more down the line.

People over-estimate the ratings of ONE HD. Their best programs are lucky to break 100k, only Formula One gets anything over 200k. Everything else is sub 90k at BEST, and probably below 40k in general.

If the rumoured deal goes through it starts next season and runs out in 2014/15.

Oh we know - hence the rumour of this possible offer of a renegotiated deal. I was just pondering, despite the likelihood that the A-League/NT's stock will continue to rise, would it be worth the FFA taking up such an offer, or holding out, banking on that higher price/possibly better deal, come a few years time.



Thanks for that, I wasn't sure though it does reflect that in the article. Hmm that would be even better, yeah, in theory. Contract would expire just before we host the Asian Cup in 2015 aswell.




Perhaps true, but as I said - The analogue signal will be switched off by 2012 or so, as the Federal Government has been informing us through their 'Get Ready' campaign and all those label tags on the TVs, indicating the TV's level of 'readiness' (Inbuilt HD tuner, set top box required or what have you).

So by the time the contract is open for tender, a majority of the TV viewing market SHOULD have digital, unlike is the case now, where that does not appear to be the case, yet.

So immediately, the complexion changes there. Though another angle to your statement - Yeah, ONE may have limited appeal but heck the audience the A-League looks for and indeed the potential audience for the A-League, are generally already sports fans! So they won't have any trouble switching over to ONE to check out the A-League - heck most would probably be casual viewers of the channel anyway, when it perhaps shows some AFL games during winter, the Formula One (as you have said) and what have you. So ONE may always only be a niche, but that niche will be significantly larger than it is now, when Digital becomes the norm, required standard, rather than the option it is now.

AND Let's not overlook, the number you talk of still compare well to the audience that Foxtel reaches, especially the audience that the A-League on Foxtel reaches (I am not sure of the figures, but even though Foxtel are very happy with the A-League viewing figures, they still only are on average something below that 40k mark?). And like I said, plenty of room for ONE to grow, which it is destined to do so, through the Government's Digital roll out/Analogue switch off, essentially forcing people to make the upgrade.

And even with those who don't like 'soccer' or don't like sport, given it's FTA, then even those might 'accidently' catch some A-League footage, an A-League game even, just through 'flicking through' the channels.

And for those of you who 'somehow' don't know about this 'Get Ready' program of the Government's, here is their website about it:

http://www.digitalready.gov.au/

Don't judge ONE and the HD channels only on what we see, experience, at present. Factor in, through the outcome of the Digital Ready program, how the TV environment will be, come middle of next decade.

You must not overlook this part of the equation when it comes to negotiating the TV deal. Just look how the AFL and co are starting to be showing on Seven and Ten's HD channels over the past couple seasons or so. More and more we will see the HD channels be a prominent feature when it comes to the broadcast of sport on FTA TV.

Edited by GloryPerth: 21/12/2009 02:07:24 AM

The Socceroos are big enough to rate on regular FTA TV. 7,9 or 10 would love to have them.

If I was the FFA I wouldnt be signing off on anything just yet. If the World Cup comes our way then all bets are off. The game will be changed for ever.

Exactly GloryPerth. By the time the current deal expires, analogue TV will have expired also. So everyone will have ONE HD or at least ONE Digital (channel 12).
Plus by then, Ten will have their new digital channel (supposed to start early next year) and Seven and Nine, will have their 3rd channels also.

So its rather difficult to talk about deals based on the current FTA market, because in 3-4 years time the entire landscape will be different.

Fox know this. Hence the reason why they are offering a decent deal now. Spent a little, to save a shitload.
Smart business by Fox. FFA should be smarter and not fall for it.

Edited by Erebus: 21/12/2009 03:51:25 PM

Hmm, indeed. I think, as some have mentioned, some kind of split deal, like Fox Sports retaining, but with ONE HD or some other FTA Sports dedicated HD Channel, securing some games, aswell as some highlights package, would be more ideal. In the end, it's all good if the bidding price is driven up to the point where the A-League can be strong enough to be an attractive enough proposition on it's own, without having to be bundled with the Socceroos and conversely, the game can reap more, not just in revenue, but in TV coverage, from having the Socceroos deal separate too?

The following may be a more ideal, yet still practical, world?

A-League - Foxsports primary partner, ONE HD minor partner (Maybe not unlike the AFL deal with Seven and Ten split coverage?)
Socceroos - SBS (Either through wider anti-siphoning or through split-deal.)

Though hmm with the unbundling thing, maybe bundling, as we have at present, may be the best move, longer term? The ratings attractiveness of the Socceroos aside - Because it avoids audience confusion and intensifies the Aussie Soccer coverage on the network which has both A-League and Socceroos (Like how we see on Foxsports atm). The present bundle style package does keeps things pretty straightforward for audiences. Should marriage between the A-League and the Socceroos should forever remain intact?



BTW With this article - it's been a few days since this 'transcribed article' circulated on fan forums, it's now Monday, but I can't find it on the New Ltd websites (The Sydney Daily Telegraph is part of Murdoch's News Ltd)?

Where is this supposed article from Val Migliaccio??

Edited by GloryPerth: 21/12/2009 10:35:51 PM

Are you really so confident that a free to air deal that was forced onto the FFA would ensure
- maximum money for their rights?
- all Soccerroos games live an interrupted?
- maximum money for A-League rights if it has to be sold as a separate package from the Socceroos?
- all A-League matches will be shown live and uniterrupted?
- all ACL games involving Australian teams shown live and uninterrupted?

What happens if this current crop of Socceroos retires and our national team goes downhill for a period? Are you so confident the free-to-air channels will prop up the game? They don't do that, they only buy content which they know will sell!

A case in point: There was a recent review into the anti-siphoning legislation. Below is Foxtel's submission in relation to it:

http://www.dbcde.gov.au/television/antisiphoning_and_antihoarding/sport_on_television__review_of_the_anti-siphoning_scheme_discussion_paper/sport_on_television_review_submission?121150_result_page=109

In it Foxtel complains that the anti-siphoning legislation allowed networks Seven and Ten to buy the rights to ALL AFL games. Then they decided they weren't going to broadcast them all so Foxtel had to enter bitter negotiations with their competitors to secure the untelevised games.

Foxtel actually threatened not to buy these games so there was the potential for a lot of AFL games to go unbroadcasted.

It is really interesting that either none of the football leagues made a submission on this review or their submissions weren't made public.

In the UK, everyone has to pay an annual television license just to watch the "free" channels like BBC. If you look at it this way, Foxtel is an incredibly cheap way to get guaranteed professional and consistent content.

Edited by Ecce: 22/12/2009 09:47:58 AM