At the end of round four of the A-League the television metrics on Fox Sports were down by a reported 32.35 percent compared to the same period last season.

Telstra have begun streaming the A-League on iPhone-only sized screens which may have made a minor impact but viewing figures on FTA partner Ten are also significantly down on what SBS achieved, despite access to high profile Saturday night matches.

It's thrown the size of the next TV deal into doubt, with many now feeling Fox Sports may have overpaid the FFA when they signed off a six-year $60m/year broadcast rights contract.

With the A-League competing against the Big Bash League, Test Cricket, tennis, women's AFL and AFL-X, and even also up against the Asian Cup this summer, the A-League may struggle to rebound.

"It's a tough market," Gallop admitted on SEN radio today. "With cricket underway, just getting our share of the eyeballs is continuing to be a challenge.

"[It's] difficult. I think one of the reasons that we made the decision around Keisuke Honda with Melbourne Victory to get that star factor back into the A-League.

"Of course, we also made an investment into Sam Kerr and she as usual is just setting the game on fire. Last weekend she got two goals for Perth Glory. She's a star for the Matildas, she's a star off the pitch so that was a worthy investment.

"But I think we got to continue to raise the profile of our players, be they the imported players or Australian players.

"Obviously Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has shown that he not averse to picking guys from the A-League and all that will help us bolster our TV audience."

He admitted the season had got off to a mixed start with Perth Glory's runs of success a highlight along with Victory's achievements with Honda so far.

"These teams are playing really good football," he said. "The active support and the atmosphere has been great. That's on the plus side.

"I think perhaps on the potholes-in-the-road side, we've got two Sydney teams that are currently dislocated from where they'll ultimately play, and that's caused some some highlights and lowlights.

"Kogarah on Sunday afternoon was terrific – 19,000 people, a pulsating game in an intimate stadium.

"But then two days earlier [at Spotless Stadium where the pitch was covered in broken plastic debris], not the best night for the game with the surface just not up to scratch."