Football Federation Australia And Fox Sports Agree New Broadcast Deal

Football Federation Australia (FFA) and Fox Sports Australia (Fox Sports) tonight confirmed they had reached agreement on a new broadcast deal that will see football broadcast on Fox Sports through to the end of July 2021.

The agreement ensures that the remainder of the Hyundai A-League 2019/20 season will resume on 16 July and be completed as planned.

Australia’s final four FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Round 2 Asian Qualifiers will be shown on Fox Sports, while Socceroos and Westfield Matildas friendly international matches will be aired on the network through to 31 July 2021.

The A-League 2020/21 and Westfield W-League 2020/21 seasons will also be shown on Fox Sports.

FFA Chief Executive Officer James Johnson acknowledged Foxtel and Fox Sports for their collaboration during the negotiation, noting that the deal will help to provide the certainty football requires.

“I would like to thank Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany and Head of Fox Sports Peter Campbell for their continued support for Australian football,” Johnson said.

“The pandemic has created uncertainty and accelerated disruption to the sports media sector and to football here in Australia and abroad – this new agreement adjusts to this new reality, secures the immediate future of football in Australia and provides flexibility for FFA to lay a foundation to transition into a new world for Australian professional football.

“The deal will see the professional game – for women and men – reactivated, and ensures that football is at the heart of all our thinking in the future.

“It will also provide immediate certainty for clubs, players, coaches, officials and, most importantly, fans, for the remainder of the current Hyundai A-League season, as well as the next.

“We are equally as pleased to have secured the next season for the Westfield W-League to ensure we can continue to drive interest and growth in women’s football in Australia,” he said.

Australian Professional Football Clubs Association (APFCA) Chairman Paul Lederer also thanked Foxtel, Fox Sports and FFA for successfully concluding their discussions.

“Fox Sports has been an outstanding partner of the Hyundai A-League and the Westfield W-League and we are pleased that this partnership will continue until the 2020/21 season,” Lederer said.

“This deal ensures that our fans and members will be able to enjoy the exciting conclusion to the current Hyundai A-League season, and look forward to the next A-League and Westfield W-League seasons.”

FFA CEO James Johnson added that a key feature of the new broadcast deal includes a shift in the timing of the next A-League season, with the 2020/21 season now commencing in December 2020 and concluding in July 2021.

“The shift in the timing of the next A-League season is a strategic decision to enhance the alignment of our top tier professional men’s league with the grassroots playing season of the largest community sport in the country,” Johnson explained.

“There are numerous benefits to this, including better aligning the competition pyramid of Australian football to facilitate enhanced football outcomes like a modern domestic transfer system, and enabling deeper engagement with our vast grassroots football community at the precise time our many participants are most engaged in our great game.

“Despite challenging times, this deal will help us continue the process of transforming our professional leagues and move the sport towards an exciting future.”

Free-to-air broadcast partner ABC TV will continue to broadcast one A-League and Westfield W-League match per week through to the end of July 2021, along with FFA-controlled Socceroos and Westfield Matildas matches.

The new agreement will no longer see the FFA Cup broadcast on Fox Sports and FFA will consider innovative new broadcast arrangements for the only truly national Cup competition in Australian sport.

“The FFA Cup is unique in the Australian sporting landscape and connects the grassroots and National Premier Leagues with the Hyundai A-League. We will be forever grateful to Foxtel and Fox Sports for sharing our vision to create this special competition in the first place. We are excited for the future of the FFA Cup and will make further announcements about its future direction in due course,” Johnson concluded.

Peter Campbell, Head of Fox Sports said: “We want to be there for football fans and we are pleased to have a new agreement that supports the completion of the 2019/20 A-League season and provides certainty for FFA, clubs, players and supporters to begin planning and to get excited for next season.

“This new deal also provides us with the opportunity to work with FFA over the next year as they reset and reenergize the professional game in Australia and explore the best possible range of future broadcast options for the game.

“Football has been through a challenging period and we are excited to have the W-League, Socceroos, Matildas back on Fox Sports and for the A-League restart on 16 July, every game live and ad-break free during play.”

LaLiga’s International Audience Rises By Almost 50% After The Competition’s Restart

  • According to figures from consultants Nielsen Sports, LaLiga Santander’s international audience increased on the first matchday of the competition following the forced hiatus.
  • Across Africa, viewing figures rose by 73% while India saw an increase of 72%.

LaLiga Santander increased its international viewing figures by more than 48% on the first matchday (Matchday 28) after the competition resumed following the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to international consultants Nielsen Sports and based on preliminary official viewing figures and estimates, international audiences during live games on Matchday 28 showed a significant rise compared to the average from the first 27 matchdays of the season.

To read the full piece and subscribe to LaLiga’s Global Futbol Newsletter, follow this link: LaLiga’s International Audience Rises By Almost 50% After The Competition’s Restart

Member Insights: How Have Sports Brands And Organisations Responded To The Covid-19 Crisis?

As we continue through the coronavirus pandemic, and hopefully edge closer to the finish, Ben Appleby of Calacus PR, takes a look at some of the best and worst ways in which sport has responded to the virus…

The coronavirus pandemic has had a colossal impact on the sports industry with governing bodies, federations, clubs, sponsors, and suppliers all struggling to stay afloat.

As always in a time of crisis there are winners and losers when it comes to managing reputations.

For every Marcus Rashford and Jordan Henderson showcasing the best of sportspeople during difficult times through their contributions to local charities and the community, the likes of Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish have unfortunately shown the opposite side of the spectrum by flouting lockdown restrictions. 

It’s not just players that have been under the microscope, with Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur – two of the top 10 richest football clubs in the world – under the microscope for announcing they would be taking advantage of the UK government’s furlough scheme to pay the majority of salaries for non-playing staff.

To their credit, both clubs did make a u-turn and said they wouldn’t apply for the scheme, although it took Tottenham almost two weeks before they reversed their decision, by which point much of the reputational damage had already been done.

The London club haven’t covered themselves in glory throughout the pandemic with manager José Mourinho and some of his players also caught flouting government advice during lockdown to train on Hadley Common, and Dele Alli receiving a fine and one-match ban for a Snapchat video that was deemed to be an “unacceptable racist stereotype”.   

Premier League clubs have been under particular scrutiny with so much money involved at the top of the game, combined with the Project Restart push to resume the division as quickly as possible, but Tottenham are far from the only culprits of making mistakes during the pandemic.

Although no one could have predicted Covid-19 or the impact it would have, companies must be acutely aware of their actions during any crisis and put themselves in the position of their stakeholders to ensure their decision-making is thorough.

Business leaders and communications departments must always ask themselves:

  • How will we communicate with internal staff and external stakeholders?
  • Is our messaging consistent across all channels?
  • Who are the key spokespeople, and have they been thoroughly briefed?
  • How are you monitoring social conversations about your brand/company?

During a pandemic that has led to tens of thousands of tragic deaths in the UK and beyond, the most important thing for any organisation is to show compassion for the situation and actively making a positive difference rather than just empty words or gestures.

Despite their mistakes, Tottenham have put their new stadium to excellent use by opening their doors to patients of North Middlesex Hospital’s Women’s Outpatient Services, while Mourinho has been pictured helping out at a local food bank in Enfield.

We’ve seen Premier League players at several clubs taking wage deferrals or salary cuts, as well as some wonderful community initiatives such as players having phone calls with vulnerable fans and clubs providing essential support for those most in need.

At a time of great uncertainty and worry in the UK, the return of live sport continues to be a beacon of hope for many, something to take their minds off the day-to-day concerns of the virus.

All businesses have a responsibility to do what they can to ease the burden and provide support to all those that have supported them in the past.

The football industry is often portrayed as money-driven and the Premier League must be careful that it isn’t seen to be compromising the welfare of players and staff for financial gain.

Now is the time for those in senior leadership positions to communicate with key stakeholders at every step as life begins to return to a semblance of normality.

Tata Communications Appoints iSportconnect As A Strategic Partner

Tata Communications is a digital ecosystem enabler that powers today’s fast-growing digital economy, the company enables the digital transformation of enterprises globally, including 300 of the Fortune 500.

This partnership comes at a time when Tata Communications is focusing on the digital transformation of sports broadcasting and live streaming to aid Sports Federations and Rights Holders.

Tata Communications currently delivers over 5,000 live sporting events globally, including the majority of motorsports in Europe, cricket, football, and for most major global sports federations.

Low latency streaming is another key focus for Tata Communications who help their clients to build a greater audience share. With nearly 30 percent of the world’s Internet routes travelling over its network, Tata Communications has established itself as a leader in the increasingly digital, cloud-powered, and IP-enabled media and entertainment industry.

Dhaval Ponda, Global Head & General Manager of Media and Entertainment at Tata Communications, said: “We are very happy to have appointed iSportconnect as a strategic partner.  This is another step for us as we look to continue and expand our work within the industry.

iSportconnect Founder and CEO Sree Varma commented: “At iSportconnect, we are thrilled to now be working alongside a company such as Tata Communications. This partnership with Tata Communications is a statement from us here at iSportconnect and how we hope to play a key role in their market growth and look forward to a successful partnership.”

iSportconnect’s Consultancy division works to help our clients with commercial development, marketing and communications and business strategy surrounding the world of sport. We help to provide business intelligence, global sports market entry strategy and support and are constantly on hand as advisors 24/7 for our clients. Some of our consultancy clients include the likes of LaLiga, Sodexo, Sportradar, Hookit and ATPI.

About iSportconnect 

iSportconnect was launched in 2010 with the aim of bringing together sports business professionals around the world in a sports business networking community enabling them to meet one another, find information and obtain access to a wide range of relevant services. The platform is now the largest global private network of sport business executives, where membership is exclusive and follows a strict door policy.

iSPORTCONNECT Interview With Drew Townley, CEO Of Kairos Esports

iSPORTCONNECT spoke to Drew about how the world of Esports has been changing since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, whether Esports will continue to flourish once traditional sports begin to return and the difficulty that comes with convincing executives at both traditional rights holders and brands in engaging with Esports.

Sportradar Adds Eastern European Championship 2020 To Tennis Portfolio

As part of its ongoing support for tennis around the world, Sportradar, the global provider of sports content and intelligence, has announced a partnership with the Tipsarevic Tennis Academy for the duration of the Eastern European Championship 2020, which is taking place in Belgrade, Serbia.

Throughout the pandemic Sportradar has worked closely with its partners to bring back live tennis and its involvement in the Eastern European Championship follows recent successes with the likes of the Tennis Point Exhibition Series, the Austrian and German Pro Series featuring world No.3 Dominic Thiem and the International Tennis Series.

With 352 matches scheduled to take place over a six week period, the Eastern European Championship is a substantial addition to Sportradar’s portfolio of tennis events. The data company will provide a range of live tennis content solutions directly from the event including the data production for all matches, using data collection software which the umpire will use to score matches and transmit data back to Sportradar.

Following ATP and WTA rules, the event will feature players from both the men’s and women’s tours. Forty-eight players are set to take compete in the men’s draw including Milomir Kecmanovic, currently ranked No.47 with the ATP, and Aljaz Bedene, who sits at No.61.

The women’s event will feature 42 players from the WTA including Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann and the Netherlands Arantxa Rus, ranked 63 and 70 respectively.

Additional live content from the tournament includes a state-of-the-art audio visual offering. As well as its live AV feed, Sportradar is distributing the event for television worldwide and providing coverage of  four matches each day of the week with play scheduled to take place between 14.00 and 22.00 CEST.

David Lampitt, Managing Director Sport Partnerships at Sportradar said: “This past few months have proved challenging for everyone in the industry. We’ve drawn on the full breadth of our resources in order to support our partners within tennis and to ensure the sport is brought back safely for everyone to enjoy.

“We’re delighted to be involved in an event of this size and profile as we continue to facilitate the return of live sport. And we’re particularly pleased to have the chance to be involved in a combined event involving top players from both the men’s and women’s Tours. The scale of it is truly unique in the current circumstances.”