The FFA and Fox continue their reluctant dance, for now
At the end of primary school, we all had pre-chosen dance partners for our end of year formal. Neither my partner nor I really liked or knew each other much, and we both had a similar lack of interest in the whole event. But we had to keep on dancing, because it was school and it was required.
The FFA and Fox Sports find themselves in a similar position. While everyone else in the Australian football scene pulled together for the July 16 restart, Fox remained on the outer. In their minds the broadcaster was being charged exorbitant fees for a product with perpetual underdelivery.
After a solid month of will they won’t they, it appeared Fox had chosen the latter. On Thursday, news circulated that Fox had walked out. SokkahTwitter, as SokkahTwitter does, went into meltdown. Would we ever be able to watch the Hyundai A-League again?
On Friday there was light at the end of the tunnel. Temporary salvation was here as Fox and the FFA finally agreed on a new deal. It’s shorter and cheaper, worth reportedly only $32m per year compared to the previous $57m, and only covers the end of this season plus next. But beyond the A-League being saved, the headline news was that gradually the league would be shifting towards a winter competition.
For football fanatics it’s fantastic. Football fundamentally is a winter sport and while grassroots competitions are generally winter based, the top leagues aren’t, which is a problem. What’s more, playing in the Australian summer can range from uncomfortable and difficult to downright dangerous - Ryan Lowry, who threw up at half time during a match against Adelaide United a few years back will be the first to celebrate.
Football across the Tasman has historically been a summer sport to avoid competing with the NRL, Super Rugby, and others. Not since 1989 have we seen winter football in Australia, while NZ switched to the summer in 2004. This has the effect of disfranchising us diehards - football is a winter sport so naturally we’re the ones celebrating the change. But will the more casual fans come when there’s a host of sports to choose from? One may argue given how low crowd numbers have fallen, there’s nothing to lose. And should a winter league fail, there’s no reason why we wouldn’t just return to a summer league.
Metrics are stagnating. The A-League needs new life and more money, and the financial situation of both Fox and clubs are perilous. A winter season could end up being a last ditch roll of the dice by both. But whether Fox will still want or be in the position to continue broadcasting post 2021 is up in the air. Fans may turn to Optus as their saviour, as Fox’s competitor has made no secret of their interest in football, but they have produced a lot of content over the lockdown slandering Australian football. To say they will swoop in and take over from the NewsCorp giant is putting the cart ahead of the fox.
This is where for me, the most interesting part of the deal comes in. Fox will no longer broadcast the FFA Cup, and reportedly this will see the FFA launch their own streaming service. While James Johnson & Co. would probably prefer Fox, they’ll make the most of this opportunity. With the future of A-League broadcasting uncertain when the 2021 deal runs out, the FFA Cup will be a chance to trial and tweak a streaming service in a reduced risk environment. Fox for their part have secured one of their big earners; they’ll have the NRL until 2027 at least.
So the dance between football’s governing body and their broadcaster continues, but with each player eyeing up alternative options while still trying to get the current partnership to work.
It truly does remind me of my primary school dance. But said dance ended up with us out of time, out of line, and eventually with me tripping up and landing on the floor. The girl in question and I didn’t speak again.
