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Foxtel removes A-League, W-League content as talks continue.

Football content disappears while Foxtel and FFA are in negotiations

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FOX Sports has removed all A-League and W League from its platform while it is locked in negotiations with Football Federation Australia.

Content has been removed from Foxtel Go, Kayo Sports, and the on-demand section of Foxtel IQ, while Foxtel is negotiating with FFA over the broadcast of the remaining 2019-20 A-League season.

Reports suggest Foxtel is seeking a significant reduction to their existing deal, worth a reported $57 million a season, to a rumoured $11 million per year for the remaining three campaigns they are contracted to show.

“We’ve got no live football at the moment and we’re currently reviewing all our football offering, and that’s the reason why it’s not there at the moment,” Head of FOx Sports, Peter Campbell, told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“We’re having a good look at it. There’s still plenty of content on there from the BeIN properties, some LaLiga and stuff like that from memory.”

FFA chief executive James Johnson declined to comment.

A spokesperson for Foxtel said: “We do not comment on commercial matters however we continue to be in discussion with Football Federation Australia about their plan for the resumption of the A-League season on 16 July.”

4 Responses

  1. The key issue is audience for what Foxtel paid.
    The main reason why Football/Soccer is not on FTA was in the last contract the FFA only offered 1 game per week/round.
    9 & 10 said that they would need more than 1 game a week to build an audience.
    The FFA wants Football to be like Europe where you need to be subscribed to a Pay TV Platform to see Football.
    Without a major free to air partner that can show multiple games an week (like 3 or 4), it is unlikely that audience for football would grow to the level of the AFL/NRL.
    Foxtel won’t pay more because the audience isn’t there but with the contracts only allowing 1 game on FTA it’s unlikely to grow without Foxtel’s contact expiring or for Foxtel to permit more FTA games.
    When Foxtel’s contact expires the FFA need to make more games available on FTA for long term benefits of the completion and people.

  2. Foxtel will be its own demise with the amount of money they have forked out over the years ,they continue to sign contracts that in my eyes are just not worth the money and I believe the A- League is basically dead and buried anyway.

  3. I expect it will all be sorted by the 14th of July like the rugby was (i.e. 2 days before for the NZ tournament). Foxtel are in the box seat here I expect. None of the free to airs want a bar of it because it doesn’t rate. I guess Optus could be an option depending on the contractual terms. They could always do an NBL and setup their own streaming service.

    1. I agree, A League has been a useful Foxtel product even with low ratings.
      Worst case scenario could be the loss of one or two teams and a shorter season, but I’m sure some money will be found for them as well.

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