The A-league is heading into unchartered waters. It’s looking like Fox sports is about to pull the pin. Each club was due a $900,000 payment by Fox sports next month. If that does not happen then it’s hard to imagine how any club can keep paying wages.
It’s quite likely that it would be possible to play football again at the start of the next A-league season. How that is going to work is anyone’s guess. For a start it’s unlikely that any Govt will approve mass gatherings of people until everyone has been vaccinated. The best case scenario I have read is that a vaccine is at least 12 months away. So it’s A-league in empty stadiums. Then if Fox sports quits the league will need to find a new broadcaster. At the moment they get $57 million a year. There won’t be firms queuing up to pay anything like that.
What we could end up with is A-league lite. The budget version with low wage players playing in empty suburban grounds and streamed live. If the transTasman travel ban is still on then the Nix would have to get a dispensation to get them self’s based in Australia for the duration of the season. If that doesn’t work out we might see a low wage Nix team playing in the NZ local Premier competition in place of the disbanded Nix reserve side.
All the world's leagues will pretty much be in the same boat. Heavy cost cutting needed, players and staff taking salary cuts.
However the A League losing Fox Sports would obviously be massive extra blow. I don't think the A League would fold, but yes would need to par right back to a very cheap model, maybe with a reduction in visa players, to be almost be like the old NSL - or how CCM operate now.
That could be a real prospect for a season or so, if Fox pulled the plug, and took FFA/NLWG awhile to put together a replacement broadcasting deal. And if they can construct a new deal (likely a combination of various media), may never be as good as the Fox deal.
But do just wonder if Fox are playing games. Sure pay TV as a model is struggling, but what other sports do they have to broadcast over the summer months? Big Bash cricket. EPL which is played in the middle of the night. I still think they will be looking for content over the summer. Maybe they just want to push FFA/NLWG into a corner, talk down the value of the A League, and seek a reduction in the existing (using some failure to provide product clause) and next contract.
Some big big challenges ahead for NLWG, Rob Morrison and the other owners.
Not sure how Sydney FC pushing for extra visa spots, and relaxation of the salary cap is going to work amongst these problems. Seems unrealistic now.
And yes see the league restarting behind closed doors as a given, with Nix seeking dispensation to base themselves in NSW/VIC if needed. There is just no market for a semi pro type NZ comp.