https://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/a-league-ratings-down-but-20181030-p50czl.html
A-League executives are reserving judgment on declining television ratings until streaming figures are available and a clearer picture emerges of just how much the viewing habits of football fans have changed in a shifting technological landscape.
Two rounds into the new campaign, ratings on Fox Sports are down by approximately 31 per cent on last season. It's a concerning fall, particularly given there was also a sharp 24 per cent decrease last season, but there are several mitigating circumstances.
For one, crowds are up in both the A-League and W-League, which indicates wider interest levels in the game haven't simply nosedived. Foxtel subscriptions have been on the slide as audiences flock to services like Netflix and Stan, while Optus' recent purchase of the English Premier League rights has impacted on how fans of the round ball game spend their money.
Anecdotal evidence also suggests there has been a significant take-up of the new My Football Live app launched by Football Federation Australia this season, which offers Telstra customers free streams of all A-League, W-League and FFA Cup matches.
Greg O'Rourke, the head of the A-League, said FFA would not receive data on how many times matches have been viewed through the app for another week or two, as collection methods are not as sophisticated as they are for TV ratings. The numbers may not be released publicly if Telstra deems them to be commercial in confidence, but O'Rourke is hoping they will neatly explain the shortfall.
"It's a bit of a wait and see," O'Rourke said. "Every streaming view is obviously going to close that gap. We have to wait three or four weeks to see if it's doing as we had forecast or whether or not we've got more work to do in that area."
Foxtel is poised to unveil their own response to the streaming revolution. The pay TV giants are expected to roll out a platform which CEO Patrick Delany has described as the "Netflix of sport" in the coming weeks. It could allow punters to access competitions like the A-League at a much lower price point than through a traditional cable connection.
Meanwhile, the governing body is considering a few tweaks to the FFA Cup which could take shape next season. O'Rourke confirmed the FFA was contemplating whether to hold the final before the start of the A-League, rather than two rounds in as is the case this year.
FFA is also trying to work out how the allocation of Cup berths will be affected by A-League expansion. All 10 teams from the top tier currently enter the tournament in the round of 32 but with two new clubs due to join the A-League in either 2019-20 or the season after, it's not clear how they can be accommodated without diminishing opportunities for NPL clubs. Some state federations, including South Australia, are petitioning for greater representation in the FFA Cup, so any reduction would be met with fierce resistance.