DigitA-League?

The FFA have missed the opportunity to have games viewed by the greater populous with no free-to-air broadcasting partner.  Have they missed another opportunity to provide access to the broader public?

We all know that Fox Sports are the broadcasting partner of the A-League, however you may not be aware that no other media is allowed to record either video within the stadium or the areas surrounding the grounds.  This restriction is stated in the FFA media accreditation terms and conditions. 

Condition 8 - From two hours before the start of the Match until one (1) hour after the end of the Match, only the Host Broadcaster of the Match is allowed to film or record any vision inside the Venue (including in the dressing rooms and on the field of play). For the avoidance of doubt, this means that you cannot record “stand-ups” with the crowd, Venue or Match in the background

(source - http://www.myfootball.com.au/newsletter/FFA_images/FFA_Terms_of_Accreditation.pdf)

So this means that the FFA has decided to stop any other broadcaster even whipping up excitement about the games by speaking to the supporters before or after a game.  The other major sports allow such ‘stand up’ interviews and often audience interviews can be seen on news programs around big matches.  So if they are restricting media outlets from broadcasting such interviews over the open airwaves is it little wonder that the FFA also seem to have missed the opportunity to obtain promotion and income over the ’wire’ as well.

The AFL recently obtained the biggest TV deal in Australian sport and the NRL claim they are going to beat that deal in the very near future.  However neither deal included digital rights as part of the broadcast rights.  Yet this single condition in the FFA media rights seems to mean that they have removed the opportunity to obtain a digital broadcast sponsor.  Given such a high number of Australian homes are using high speed internet connections (ABS figures place this at approx. 10.35 million connections http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8153.0) then surely a digital partner would be the next best exposure for the A-League after free-to-air television.

So if the FFA had a digital partner who was streaming A-League games, be it the Fox Sports broadcast or their own broadcast through the FFA website, the product would be immediately available to a massive number of Australians and overseas viewers.  This would be best presented as a free service or even a very minor charged per broadcast service.  I mean how many supporters would really object to paying $1-$2 for an uninterrupted feed of their team when they are on the other side of the country.  This fee is much more affordable than $50+ a month for a Foxtel service.  Don’t get me wrong I am not complaining about missing Mariners away games because I won’t fork over 50 bucks a month, I have Foxtel and have had for many years.  So this kind of service would not really benefit me unless I was not at home.

The internet connection numbers quoted above do not even include mobile handsets which are often also high speed internet capable.  How good would it be to stream your team’s performance at that wedding or party you just could not get out of?  I planned my wedding around the sporting events that were happening, but many of my friends other halves are not so considerate.  I have had a number of engagement parties or weddings where all I wanted to do was to get away, head home and turn the game on.  How many family dinners have you had with that aunt or uncle that just won’t part with the money to get the Foxtel coverage?  Wouldn’t it be better if you could whip out the iPhone or Galaxy or Windows smart phone, connect to the FFA website and have a mobile stream of the live game.  In this day and age it is all possible and it is all profitable so why is there no digital partner for the A-League?

The FFA and the A-League websites have just undergone a huge remodel and they look 100 times better than they did last season.  Yet they still lack functionality and marketability.  Of all the teams on the site only five of the franchises have online stores.  Where are the rest of the teams selling their merchandise?  In this age of the information mega super tollways surely the FFA should have made sure that their ‘rest stop’ was as slick and polished as all the competitors in the sporting market.  Telstra broadcasts replays of games through the website for the NRL and overseas viewers can stream games live through a Telstra paid service.  So if a company as slow moving and old school as Telstra can have a live stream why have the FFA not thought of it.  Optus, the A-Leagues telecommunications partner, streamed all the world cup games from South Africa live, so why not get the action from Perth?

I know that Fox Sports put the goal of the week up on the website and all the press conferences but why not put whole games on their site?  I am sure that most fans would put up with having a slight delay of an hour or two if Fox Sports wanted to differentiate between the web service and the broadcast service on Foxtel.  Just give the Australian fans the games they are crying out for.  The FFA and Fox Sports are probably spending a considerable amount of time chasing illegal streams and content on the web.  Wouldn’t you get a better outcome if you stream the games yourself and destroy the illegal stream market?  Why would users bother finding illegal streams of a game if the FFA or the Fox Sports website had the game available to everyone?

If the FFA are going to elevate this great sport to the level it deserves they need to get smarter and enable more people to view the games.