Central Coast Mariners chairman Peter Turnbull hailed the new deal as a gamechanger for the sport in Australia and relief at last from some of the financial pressures on clubs.

“This is a fantastic result and I would like to congratulate the whole team at FFA for their effort in securing a wonderful broadcast deal for football in Australia,” Turnbull said.

“Fox Sports have been wonderful for the game and will be throughout the new contract. However it is especially good that the code will now be on free-to-air TV.

"This will only grow the sport further and ultimately benefit everyone with a stake in the game.

“The expectation is that the new TV contract will cover 100 per cent of the salary cap, which will go some way to alleviating the financial losses incurred by club owners since the establishment of the Hyundai A-League.”

“We at the Mariners welcome this announcement as we strive to increase the sustainability of our club, grow our fan base, deliver improved engagement to our supporters and, first and foremost, attain success on the football pitch."

Melbourne Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro added: “All parties should be congratulated on achieving this deal, which ensures that football has a platform to continue its growth well into the future.

“From a club perspective, today’s announcement is great news.

"Our very loyal member and fan-base will now have even more access to their Melbourne Victory throughout the 2013/14 season and beyond, as well as our future finals campaigns.

"With the introduction of the SBS free-to-air component of the deal, in conjunction with the existing Fox Sports coverage of football, it will enable our members and fans to see the very best coverage on their screens and dramatically increase the reach for the Hyundai A-League and football right across Australia.

“The new deal will provide an increase in the revenue distribution to our club, enabling us to implement our strategic initiatives to build our entire business.

"It also works to sure up the competition through financial support and audience reach, as the league continues its growth curve over the next four year cycle.  

“We certainly share the sentiments of FFA Chairman Frank Lowy; it’s a very good day for Australian football.”

Perth Glory owner and chairman Tony Sage added: “We applaud these new broadcast arrangements, not just for what they mean to the clubs financially, but also for what they mean for the Hyundai A-League in terms of its future growth ambitions.

“Through these agreements, and with the introduction of free-to-air broadcaster SBS, the game will be seen across additional broadcast platforms, meaning the audience reach for the competition will increase significantly, which is key to the continued growth of the Hyundai A-League.

“Importantly for me, as a club owner, the broadcast arrangements will go a long way to securing the financial future of the Hyundai A-League and ensuring each of the clubs receives a suitable level of funding from which to build a financially sustainable operation.

“It must be remembered that most, if not all, of the Hyundai A-League clubs have recorded significant losses in recent years, so these arrangements will enable the clubs to reverse that situation somewhat and hopefully generate profits which can be reinvested back into the game, which is important for the long-term viability of the clubs and the league.

“The new broadcast deal is the first step to making the club’s finically viable and we now look forward to working with the FFA on a number of other issues discussed with the owners”