A-League TV rights: FFA and Fox Sports set to agree on improved multi-year deal

WATCH LIVE: FOX Sports will continue to be the A-League’s main backer, with a massive new long-term deal announced this afternoon.

UPDATE: AUSTRALIAN football chiefs have trumpeted the new Fox Sports A-League deal as “a quantum leap” for the game, after striking a $57.67 million a year deal.

As revealed by the Herald Sun, Football Federation Australia and Fox Sports announced the new deal on Tuesday, signifying a doubling of the Pay TV network’s current contract.

The six-year deal, worth $346 million in total, was longer than the four year contract most anticipated.

Fox Sports’ component in the exisiting four-year-deal, which expires in May, is $32 million a year, around $4 million of which was attributed to the Socceroos.

The rights for official Socceroos games was sold separately for the first time several months ago, with Fox Sports paying an estimated $5 million a year for those, lifting their total investment in local football to almost $63 million a year.

“Since the transformation of our game began back in 2003, the change in football has been remarkable,” FFA chairman Steven Lowy said.

“Our game has never seen a deal of this magnitude before. This six-year agreement gives us the certainty to continue to implement our strategy to grow the A-League and the W-League and invest more in grassroots football development and the women’s game.”

Tim Cahill and Melbourne City have brought something new. Picture: Getty Images

Foxtel CEO Peter Tonagh said: “Foxtel is thrilled to be continuing our long standing partnership with FFA.”

“This doubling of our investment provides the long term support to further grow the game at both an elite and grassroots level. We strongly believe in football and know our customers share the passion and love for the game as we do.

“I am also pleased to confirm that this new agreement continues our commitment to promoting the game at a grass-roots level, partly through initiatives such as Foxtel All-Stars Tim Cahill Ambitions program.”

Fox Sports chief Patrick Delany was thrilled with the deal and said the A-League had a chance to capitalise.

WE WANT MORE: A-League clubs want bigger slice of new broadcast deal

“Today’s announcement sees Fox Sports remain the home of football in Australia. We have been there from the beginning, and have walked the hard yards, and we will be there to see Australian football reach its full potential. For us it’s a celebration,’’ Delany said.

“We will serve up more football, across more platforms, live, ad break free during play and in high definition. The way it should be.

Fans arrive for the Melbourne derby. Picture: Getty Images

The FFA informed the A-League owners on Monday night. They are hopeful of getting $70 million-a-year once the Free-to-Air deal is struck, inclusive of a contra component.

The FTA deal won’t be concluded until the Big Bash rights are concluded in coming months, but Fox and FFA chiefs confirmed the coveted Saturday night slot would be simulcast, as opposed to the current Friday night arrangement.

Channels Seven, Nine and Ten are all keen on replacing SBS as the FTA broadcaster but all have prioritised the Big Bash, whose rights expire a year later.

Ten’s $20 million per year Big Bash deal is tipped to rise to around $50 million per year, with Big Bash’s superior six-week ratings offset by the volume of content (27 rounds plus finals).

The A-League FTA package would include minimum one live game, set to revert to the Saturday match of the round from Friday night, plus a weekly highlights package.

Fox Sports would continue to be the game’s main revenue and publicity stream, showing all five games live while committing $346 million over the next six years in addition to its $5 million-a-year investment in official Socceroos games, which are also shown on Nine.

Taking the game to free-to-air is the next step. Picture: Getty Images

While promoting Fox Sports’ expanded summer A-League content, FFA chief executive David Gallop played a straight bat to TV and expansion talk.

“It’s too early to be speculating about the TV rights deal,’’ Gallop said.

“It’s an important part of the sport’s future. Not much more we can say.”

Expansion talk has intensified with FFA officials meeting Tasmania and South Melbourne representatives in recent weeks, while clubs from most states are lining up bids.

“We all recognise 10 teams is not where we want to be,’’ Gallop said.

“We want to expand the competition but do it in a way that’s sustainable.