Will they drop ticket prices to encourage more to show up??
New A-League broadcast overlords
I think Paramount is a big driver behind this. I do not think it's a popular service, similar to Apple TV who has the rights to the MLS. Neither service provides enough product to warrant a long term contract.
I've just booted BT for the same reason as it was hard to justify having it when I only watch one Nix game a week on the whole service and use Disney/Netflix/BBC/YouTube for everything else.
A League needs to be on FOX in Australia to survive although I also think Pay TV is doomed generally thanks to streaming and YouTube.
I've just booted BT for the same reason as it was hard to justify having it when I only watch one Nix game a week on the whole service and use Disney/Netflix/BBC/YouTube for everything else.
A League needs to be on FOX in Australia to survive although I also think Pay TV is doomed generally thanks to streaming and YouTube.
The positive to come out of this is that it could well force the clubs into a focus on game day experience and match day revenue.
It could mean in a few years clubs like the Victory and Adelaide will be back on top. It’ll also test how much the City football group wanna push into the competition if the crowds don’t match the salaries.
It could mean in a few years clubs like the Victory and Adelaide will be back on top. It’ll also test how much the City football group wanna push into the competition if the crowds don’t match the salaries.
The A League crowds are up slightly on last year on average. Not enough to celebrate, but at least it shows the comp is stable in terms of bums on seats.
Long term the lack of television money may be a blessing in disguise as it forces clubs to promote within and give youth a chance. It's a far more sustainable model than hiring over paid foreigners or once we decent aussies/kiwis returning from abroad.
I'd be more interested in seeing what kind of deal the A League gets in the next round of negotiations - does FOX come back in and offer a better deal than what clubs have currently - but clearly below what they last paid. Does Paramount offer more, but without all the cavets etc.
I also think that the A League clubs should work together in terms of profit sharing through transfers. 90% to the club, 10% to the league etc. All it takes is 1 or 2 large future fees for an A League player (hopefully with a sell on clause etc) and they've set a club up for the next decade.
Long term the lack of television money may be a blessing in disguise as it forces clubs to promote within and give youth a chance. It's a far more sustainable model than hiring over paid foreigners or once we decent aussies/kiwis returning from abroad.
I'd be more interested in seeing what kind of deal the A League gets in the next round of negotiations - does FOX come back in and offer a better deal than what clubs have currently - but clearly below what they last paid. Does Paramount offer more, but without all the cavets etc.
I also think that the A League clubs should work together in terms of profit sharing through transfers. 90% to the club, 10% to the league etc. All it takes is 1 or 2 large future fees for an A League player (hopefully with a sell on clause etc) and they've set a club up for the next decade.
I think Paramount is a big driver behind this. I do not think it's a popular service, similar to Apple TV who has the rights to the MLS. Neither service provides enough product to warrant a long term contract.
I've just booted BT for the same reason as it was hard to justify having it when I only watch one Nix game a week on the whole service and use Disney/Netflix/BBC/YouTube for everything else.
A League needs to be on FOX in Australia to survive although I also think Pay TV is doomed generally thanks to streaming and YouTube.
I've just booted BT for the same reason as it was hard to justify having it when I only watch one Nix game a week on the whole service and use Disney/Netflix/BBC/YouTube for everything else.
A League needs to be on FOX in Australia to survive although I also think Pay TV is doomed generally thanks to streaming and YouTube.
I only have Paramount for the A League, and will suspend it as soon as the season is over. But I can't see Fox taking the A Leagues back. Low media rights deals for the APL are probably here to stay, it's hard to ever see a return to the big money days.
The ALM evolving to a lower budget development league (almost NSL version 2) will actually be welcomed by some parts of the Aus football community. Many here have felt for a long time the old NSL allowed more opportunities for younger players, with the Socceroos 2006 WC 'Golden Generation' mostly all getting their first gigs in the NSL as 17-18 yr olds.
Can see it getting very competitive now with young talent in the ALM. Irankunda has signed with Bayern Munich at a reported $AUD5.7M plus add-ons. But what if say the VUC had lured him to Melbourne as a 15 yr old with the promise of first team ALM football the next season?
Clubs now will be looking to lock in very young talent on long term deals, and maybe give them first team mins earlier than previous, in a bid to accelerate their development. Older journeyman maybe being dropped for unproven youth. Transfer fee income will just become so important for the clubs's cashflows, so a bigger emphasis on developing youth from within to then sell.
Young player development potentially become a priority over results, in some years for some clubs. After all their is no prize money for winning the league, plus APL get all your gate takings from the finals. Some sort of balance required.
In NZ there will become a real battle between the Nix & AFC for Aotearoa's best young talent. GSR plumped for the Nix this time. But once AFC's Academy is up & going, the battlelines will be drawn. Maybe a gentleman's agreement, Hamilton north is AFC turf, the rest of country the Nix. Likes of Paulsen & Old (who will both bring in some valuable transfer fees hopefully) are Aucklanders - so it will make a big difference, re the Wenix Academy & the Phoenix as a whole with the talent inflow, a new rival Academy in the 09.
I doubt there will be any such gentleman's agreement. Both clubs will scour the country for the best young talent, and the more competition in this space in NZ the better.
I agree that clubs will lock down young talent long-term which is great, but I can see the quality of the A-League reducing considerably in the coming years as a result. Many of these players could end up being class, but that will take time, and there will be plenty of duds as well as a reduced number of decent imports.
Adelaide's deal with Bayern for Irankunda is just massive. If we could pull something off even half that profitable that would hold the club in good stead.
I agree that clubs will lock down young talent long-term which is great, but I can see the quality of the A-League reducing considerably in the coming years as a result. Many of these players could end up being class, but that will take time, and there will be plenty of duds as well as a reduced number of decent imports.
Adelaide's deal with Bayern for Irankunda is just massive. If we could pull something off even half that profitable that would hold the club in good stead.
What the 2 NZ clubs won't want now is NZ players being given non visa status in the ALM. That would mean Aussie ALM clubs also scouting across the ditch as NRL clubs do now. Though NZ being in OFC & Australia being in AFC I imagine makes that change unlikely.
Some would say the quality of the ALM has already dropped since it's peak years, with Yorke, Del Piero, Broich, Berisha, Honda, Ono etc running around. But hey the Euro snobs didn't show much interest in the ALM then, so they are never going to go to games now. There will still be a sprinkling of cheapish old pros around like Ball & Wootton sharing their wisdom, so that Waine, Surman, Old, Paulsen etc are as prepared as they can be for the move north.
OFC players like Kaltak may get more of a look in.
Some would say the quality of the ALM has already dropped since it's peak years, with Yorke, Del Piero, Broich, Berisha, Honda, Ono etc running around. But hey the Euro snobs didn't show much interest in the ALM then, so they are never going to go to games now. There will still be a sprinkling of cheapish old pros around like Ball & Wootton sharing their wisdom, so that Waine, Surman, Old, Paulsen etc are as prepared as they can be for the move north.
OFC players like Kaltak may get more of a look in.
We may not be getting as bigger names coming to the league, but the quality of players being produced locally is improving.
I'd say that's led to a better standard of league, or at least we don't get very average players getting gigs like Christie of old.
Also, if you look at where our youth players are going to from rhe A League that also has got better, suggesting a lift in quality.
Bayern has signed 2 A League players in the past 4 years for example.
I'd say that's led to a better standard of league, or at least we don't get very average players getting gigs like Christie of old.
Also, if you look at where our youth players are going to from rhe A League that also has got better, suggesting a lift in quality.
Bayern has signed 2 A League players in the past 4 years for example.
There is a very valid concern that the A League in Melbourne is in a vicious downward spiral. Victory fans lament the way the club/police/APL has curtailed the supporter's culture. City has minimal support, and their attendance is only inflated by the derbies. If City has minimal support Western has less.
What the 2 NZ clubs won't want now is NZ players being given non visa status in the ALM. That would mean Aussie ALM clubs also scouting across the ditch as NRL clubs do now. Though NZ being in OFC & Australia being in AFC I imagine makes that change unlikely.
Some would say the quality of the ALM has already dropped since it's peak years, with Yorke, Del Piero, Broich, Berisha, Honda, Ono etc running around. But hey the Euro snobs didn't show much interest in the ALM then, so they are never going to go to games now. There will still be a sprinkling of cheapish old pros around like Ball & Wootton sharing their wisdom, so that Waine, Surman, Old, Paulsen etc are as prepared as they can be for the move north.
OFC players like Kaltak may get more of a look in.
Some would say the quality of the ALM has already dropped since it's peak years, with Yorke, Del Piero, Broich, Berisha, Honda, Ono etc running around. But hey the Euro snobs didn't show much interest in the ALM then, so they are never going to go to games now. There will still be a sprinkling of cheapish old pros around like Ball & Wootton sharing their wisdom, so that Waine, Surman, Old, Paulsen etc are as prepared as they can be for the move north.
OFC players like Kaltak may get more of a look in.
I am not sure that AUS and NZ being in two different federations has much to do with visa vs non-visa status. Is your argument based on the fact that AUS players are treated as visa-free for Phoenix (and presumably for the Auckland FC) because these two clubs are nominally Australian clubs domiciled in New Zealand?
My own thought is that visa requirement is now an internal matter for the ALM management to decide, because the league is no longer run by Football Australia.
The issue the league and clubs are going to have with TV money dropping is not only keeping the good players here long enough to make the league attractive and a decent watch but also being able to bring in semi decent international players. Even if they are not big names the imports are what have continued to make the league better which in turn has made our local (Aus/NZ) better. If the budgest mean we are only able to see NZ/Aus players then the league will go backwards. Even with the quality of academies improving.
The issue the league and clubs are going to have with TV money dropping is not only keeping the good players here long enough to make the league attractive and a decent watch but also being able to bring in semi decent international players. Even if they are not big names the imports are what have continued to make the league better which in turn has made our local (Aus/NZ) better. If the budgest mean we are only able to see NZ/Aus players then the league will go backwards. Even with the quality of academies improving.
There will always be players (especially older guys) looking for a lifestyle change. Ifill, Greenacre & now seemingly Ball looking to making a life for themselves & family, post football. Wootton maybe looking to do that as well.
Auckland will use marquee spots on quality visa players outside the salary cap. I imagine Foley will do that for at least 1-2 seasons, before reviewing the financial situation - whether it's helped pull in the crowds etc. He can also get players in on loan from Bournemouth, Lorient & Hibs.
The Mariners have been pretty good at scouting low profile but quality Latino visa players. The Nix found Davila for not much initially. They have used a loan deal to bring Salas in.
Other ALM clubs are looking to form relationships with overseas clubs, so loan deals could become more common. The ALM is proving to be a good conveyer belt of talent, and is being well scouted, which likely helped motivate someone like Salas to sign down here.
I think Paramount is a big driver behind this. I do not think it's a popular service, similar to Apple TV who has the rights to the MLS. Neither service provides enough product to warrant a long term contract.
I've just booted BT for the same reason as it was hard to justify having it when I only watch one Nix game a week on the whole service and use Disney/Netflix/BBC/YouTube for everything else.
A League needs to be on FOX in Australia to survive although I also think Pay TV is doomed generally thanks to streaming and YouTube.
I've just booted BT for the same reason as it was hard to justify having it when I only watch one Nix game a week on the whole service and use Disney/Netflix/BBC/YouTube for everything else.
A League needs to be on FOX in Australia to survive although I also think Pay TV is doomed generally thanks to streaming and YouTube.
Good summation of the situation.
CCM, Adelaide & the Nix noted as the model clubs in this environment.
Bozza's suggestions - switch to winter, bring in pro/rel - pretty dumb. Those ideas ain't gonna help much at the moment.
But Peacocke I think on the right track by suggesting invest heavily in world class Academies etc for the youth. Yes, still have your visa imports but really put an emphasis on youth. Again I imagine he's looking at the 3 clubs above as the models now in that space.
CCM, Adelaide & the Nix noted as the model clubs in this environment.
Bozza's suggestions - switch to winter, bring in pro/rel - pretty dumb. Those ideas ain't gonna help much at the moment.
But Peacocke I think on the right track by suggesting invest heavily in world class Academies etc for the youth. Yes, still have your visa imports but really put an emphasis on youth. Again I imagine he's looking at the 3 clubs above as the models now in that space.
Good summation of the situation.
CCM, Adelaide & the Nix noted as the model clubs in this environment.
Bozza's suggestions - switch to winter, bring in pro/rel - pretty dumb. Those ideas ain't gonna help much at the moment.
But Peacocke I think on the right track by suggesting invest heavily in world class Academies etc for the youth. Yers, still have your visa imports but really put an emphasis on youth. Again I imagine he's looking at the 3 clubs above as the models now in that space.
CCM, Adelaide & the Nix noted as the model clubs in this environment.
Bozza's suggestions - switch to winter, bring in pro/rel - pretty dumb. Those ideas ain't gonna help much at the moment.
But Peacocke I think on the right track by suggesting invest heavily in world class Academies etc for the youth. Yers, still have your visa imports but really put an emphasis on youth. Again I imagine he's looking at the 3 clubs above as the models now in that space.
Slater was ropable describing the situation. I wonder if it had anything to do with him being cut from the commentary team.
Likely something to do with it. To be fair all 3 guys were pretty fired up about Townsend & Co's incompetence.