Good news for us all

 

David Davutovic

April 16, 2008 12:00am

THE battle of Australia's football codes is not confined to western Sydney, with soccer's TV rights tipped to rival AFL when a new deal is nutted out in 2013.

Leading media buyer and analyst Harold Mitchell claims soccer could surpass the NRL's $500 million deal and rub shoulders with the AFL.

Mitchell, the man who advised the AFL when they signed the unprecedented $780 million TV deal, predicted that Football Federation Australia's bargaining power would top the $100 million-a-year mark by the time the rights are up for renewal.

"The soccer rights should be a $100 million-a-year sport by 2013," Mitchell said. "It could be equal to the AFL by then if it is properly presented.

"No doubt it could surpass the NRL. The reason is it can grow into all the states, southern and western. Where the NRL is very strong in NSW and Queensland, soccer can grow into new areas more easily and readily. Also what's developing is that mums want their kids to play soccer.

"They don't like thuggery, so it's perfectly positioned as a family sport. It's minimal contact, it's of high appeal and it is a fast-moving game for TV, plus it's short."

His argument is supported by the Professional Footballers Association, whose research indicates that the soccer rights - A-League and Socceroos packaged together - would eventually surpass NRL.

PFA chief executive Brendan Schwab - a former vice-president of AFL club Richmond - believes if A-League teams are introduced in western Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast before the next deal, the TV rights would be lucrative.

"The question is when, not if," Schwab said in reference to surpassing the NRL's TV rights.

"We may not be No. 1, but the key is being the No. 2 sport in every Australian market.

"The Socceroos can be the No. 1 national team in Australia, with a regular audience of one million and up to 3.5 million for big games.

"Packaged together, these media rights can provide a commercial platform that will sit only behind the AFL in the medium to long term."

Soccer's current seven-year, $130 million deal with Fox Sports was lucrative at the time it was signed - after just one A-League season.

But it was also signed on the eve of the 2006 World Cup and Mitchell said the rights even now would be worth considerably more.

In soccer's favour is that the FFA chief executive Ben Buckley was the man who brokered the AFL's unprecedented five-year, $780 million deal, which remains unsurpassed.

Buckley refused to comment yesterday, citing the expiration date too far away to speculate

 

It does not stop there the Australian government will still be looking to fund and help the women's league and spondsorsships will increase along with crowds is my guess.

 

Frank Lowy will also keep the pressure on all states to build stadiums for the WC bid, and even the talk of the WC bit and Socceroos success (please and hopefully) will keep football in the headlines.

 

You just ............ gotta love Frank Lowy he picked up a broke, inept, corrupt, miss managed local scene, in a hopeless Oceania Football Confederation and in four years �����. he even managed to keep a NZ side and plus argue for a second against all then advise.

 

Football has moved on a long way from old soccer NSL days,................part of the reason for the ethnic divide was teams were called after nations not regions.

 

Sydney has almost 5 million people Melbourne close to 4, think about what you are saying you cannot have such large population bases with only one team each.

 

Trust the FFA ;In Ben Buckley they have a very smart CEO .......... and in Frank Lowy a never I think to be repeated business brian.

 

Agent, 4.5 years ago football was a basket case, .............. mate .......... it is hard to imagine how bad it was, ............. laughing stock, bad joke all this amd more.

 

Look were we are today millions coming in from the state and federal governmements, youth leagues, womens leagues, all governments behind WC bid, new stadiums being build in VIc & WA. Talked of new stadium in SA.

 

Now 100 million dollar plus contracts annual FTA fees being openly talked about add to that figure pay, revenue from NZ & PNG  ............... in under 8 years .............. me I say go get em Frank

 

I have waited over 50 years foe days like today ............. and the Nix will be a big part of it, with this kinda of money maybe the Nix's wiil be the biggest revenue club in NZ 

 

I think they have already started to address this situation with the planned FA Cup style competition.

 

As far as I can see from here they seem to be doing a superb job.

 

And I wouldn't be surprised in a few more years that a second team from Melbourne or Sydney are allowed into the A-League. There is just too much revenue to be had from such large population bases.

 

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I am concerned that all the excellent work done with this A League could be undone. But like you and everyone else, I hope it doesn't revert to that path of the past but grows in strength and makes the A League even better.

 

 

 

VERY INTERESTING SMH TODAY MUST READ FOR ALL.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/football/fox-determined-to-hog-the-ball-despite-nines-millions/2008/04/19/1208025547207.html

Fox determined to hog the ball despite Nine�s millions

Matthew Hall

April 20, 2008

Claims Aussie football�s next TV deal may top $100 million a year are not far-fetched. That figure may even be undervalued when you consider Channel Nine has again been rebuffed in a bid to broadcast A-League matches. Nine had been trying to nail a deal with Fox Sports, the rights holder, that would allow the free-to-air network to show an A-League game live each week next season - but the pay-TV operator has refused to budge, even though Nine is willing to flash cash. Football Federation Australia is caught in midfield, watching the ball sail over its head, waiting for 2013, when the current deal is up.