Football streaming versus the national second division – where to next?

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Online streaming continues to be a popular choice for football fans around the country, but have we been better off since these services have changed the landscape?

The EPL is exclusively on Optus Sport to stream for $15 a month whilst other Major European leagues, as well as the A-League, W-League and FFA Cup, is on Kayo Sports for $25 a month.

Telstra also offers a service for streaming Socceroos and Matildas games on the My Football Live App, as well as giving fans of the A-League, W-League and FFA Cup another alternative streaming option.

At a local NPL level, significant progress has also been made in this area.

A recent initiative was introduced this past season by NPL Victoria and other NPL associations around the country, with all senior NPL games live streamed on Facebook and YouTube. This in turn has increased the visibility of the local game and given fans the chance to stream games on familiar online platforms.

Football Victoria recently posted record audience numbers on their YouTube and Facebook streams for their Grand Final Triple Header broadcast on September 15. Some of these figures were up 32% on last year’s spectacle, highlighting the appetite for the local streaming coverage.

While the implementation has been successful, there are infinite possibilities for growth through these digital platforms.

I’m sure those who are in charge of the creation of the proposed national second division will be looking at various options to find viable streaming options which will grow the game.

Could that body invest heavily in producing a streaming service that will charge a subscription fee to fans?

Or is it more suitable to keep costs lower, give out the service for free and expand digital advertising across the board, with the associated revenue making it a viable solution?

It certainly is an interesting debate, without knowing the finer details.

Maybe NPL clubs such as South Melbourne or Heidelberg United can put the onus on themselves to find a partner to stream their games (or do it themselves), when the second division is up and running.

They may try to strike a deal similar to that of Los Angeles Football Club in the MLS. LAFC secured an agreement with YouTube TV in 2018, as not only a sponsor of the team but a streaming partner. 30 of LAFC’s 34 games are streamed on the paid subscription service in 2019, available to those in the Los Angeles area. Pre-existing media deals that have been secured by the MLS are not affected by LAFC’s deal with YouTube TV. The streaming partner does not produce the coverage of the game by itself, instead partnering with the MLS and LAFC. Content produced for the service includes pre and post-game shows and other LAFC related content.

Traditional NPL clubs could package archival footage in a similar type of setup, giving fans of the team more value for their dollar. Advertising revenue could then be generated for themselves or split with the streaming partner.

These are all possible alternatives, as it becomes increasingly hard for traditional media companies (such as FOX Sports) to shell out money for sports broadcasting rights.

If FOX Sports’ current attitude towards the A-League is any indicator, the chances of them investing in a national second division are not very high.

Sports such as Basketball have taken the hint and are seeking out other viable options.

Last week the NBL announced they are in a partnership with Facebook to live stream 52 NBL games into America. This was a significant announcement for the NBL as Facebook will pay a fee to stream the games, something that they have struggled to garner domestically from traditional media outlets.

The NBL will broadcast a number of games on ESPN and SBS VICELAND this season in Australia, sharing the advertising revenue with both of these partners.

Games will also be available to stream on SBS ON DEMAND, as well as the NBL TV streaming service which is a model the national second division will be considering.

The NBL TV model gives fans access to all games live streamed for $5 a month, with full game replays and NBL Classics on demand.

It’s time for those in charge of the national second division to find the right balance for football. The streaming waters have been tested this season with NPL associations around Australia, but the decision makers will have to do their due diligence and find the right model for the future of the game.

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Philip Panas is a sports journalist with Soccerscene. He reports widely on football policy and industry matters, drawing on his knowledge and passion of the game.

SharkNinja named partner of new women’s Ninja A League

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Image credit: IOIO IMAGES / Shutterstock.com

SharkNinja has been confirmed as the new multi-season naming rights partner for the Women’s A league, which will be called the Ninja A-league.

SharkNinja is a tech and design company that works on a global scale, they have produced famous household products including the Ninja blenders and Shark cordless vacuum ranges.

It will also, in conjunction with the Ninja A-league, become a major new partner of the Isuzu UTE A-League.

The A-league commissioner Nick Garcia has welcomed the added investment the partnership will have.

“SharkNinja joins the A-Leagues with aligned ambitions; to grow women’s football in Australia and New Zealand, increase the opportunities and pathways for players, and help make the game more visible and accessible for our fans. We can’t wait to see where we take the Ninja A-League Women,” Nick explained in an A-league media release.

One of the future initiatives the partnership has confirmed is a new junior pass for under 16s that will give free entry for the first few rounds of the Ninja A-league to increase stadium-going fans and the family-friendly environment of the games.

This strategy has worked in the A-league before and with the huge numbers of young girls going to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Women’s A-league. This could be a necessary boost to increase the passionate youthful support that’s been crucial to the growth of Australian female football.

Furthermore, the agreement outlines media developments that will inject interest in the league including the continuation of the Dub Zone newspaper that details the weekly action of the league and in collaboration with the APL and Network Ten plan to increase the number of free-to-air games on 10 Bold for the 2024-25 season.

The number of games will increase from one to ten in a move to hopefully increase the Ninja A-league’s viewership online.

Judy Darling, the VP Commercial of SharkNinja advocates for the company’s excitement at the new partnership.

“Our mission is to positively impact people’s lives every day in every home around the world. This is exactly what our incredible Australian and Kiwi female footballers do – having become such powerful role models for the young and old alike,” Judy explained in an A-league statement.

The A-league’s need for investment means this is a welcomed announcement and could produce more cash flow for the A-league to continue developing Australian football both at the top level and down through the youth leagues.

Only time will tell if this partnership can deliver on its promises, for stakeholders and fans, however, this can be viewed as a step in the right direction.

A-League should heed Dynamic Ticketing issues

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Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Dynamic Ticketing is seen as a new revenue builder by struggling clubs in Europe needing to inject more funds into their clubs. However, the backlash reported by supporters worldwide should make clubs think twice about this divisive option.

Dynamic Ticketing is a system that gives tickets adaptable prices based on demand. The most recent upheaval on this system has come from the Oasis reunion tickets, where fans have queued up for hours expecting tickets to be $292.39 only in a few hours, skyrocketing to $699.38.

This has caused outrage and even opened an investigation by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority.

The footballing world has recently been riddled with ticket price controversy. Aston Villa fans raised concern at the prices of their Champions League tickets for their first return to competition since its earlier iteration, the European Cup, which they competed and won in 1982, 42 year ago.

A Champions League home ticket for Aston Villa has been increased form the cheapest non-season home tickets at $167.37 AUD rising up to $191, with a discounted price for season ticket holders ranging from $137.83 to $163.43. This comes at a 55% increase for non-season holders and 21% increase for season ticket holders from the clubs official cheapest ticket bracket of $108.

This decision has been defended by Aston Villa’s president of business operations Chris Heck saying that the financial problems facing the club and fears of Financial Fair Play (FFP) stepping in have made the ticket increase a viable option.

Other clubs such as 2023/24 Premier League champions Manchester City prices range from $74 to $123. Liverpool, 6 time champions league winners charge $59 to $120.

Valencia and Celta Vigo have taken it a step further by already imposing dynamic pricing onto its game tickets explaining prices will rise closer to the date of the game based on demand.

From a business point of view, clubs losing revenue see Dynamic Ticketing as an easy cash stream back into the club.

It is no lie that the A-league is under a strain financially, with little respite in sight. The league’s attractiveness as a business venture is vastly diminishing.

Ticketing for the A-leagues has much more financial importance than other more lucrative leagues in Europe. Also, it is worth mentioning that dynamic ticket price range would be substantially smaller than the larger supported and wealthier European clubs and leagues.

A more financially stable league would presumably result in more quality signings and revenue injected into youth development and infrastructure.

The negative effects for the fanbases, however, are glaring.

Supporters are not blind to the recent worldwide football news and know that fan’s frustrations at rising prices and where this profit goes, often falls on deaf ears. These same people could be the first to be hit hard.

The clubs in Spain that have imposed Dynamic Ticketing have caused uproar by their respective fans and other fan bases around the country. It has also soured an already fraught relationship between supporters and club owners.

Many view it as blatant greed, that they treat fans as customers and not as supporters important for the dynamic of the club.

The stage of development that Australian football is currently at means the fans have an important impact on the club’s activity. The popularity of leagues such as the Premier league or even La Liga club management see the benefits outweighing the negatives. This room for decision does not correlate with the popularity of the sport in Australia.

Football clubs should be finding angles to increase attendance and not increasing prices that could minimise interest in matches, with the cost-of-living crisis taking a hit to the public, individuals are thinking twice on where to spend their money.

Big games such as derbies draws in the largest attendance, with last season’s Sydney derby drawing in 28,152 and 27,998 for respective home and away games. Wellington Phoenix’s top of the table clash against Melbourne Victory back in May had the largest attendance at 33,297.

These type of games would be the key moments for Dynamic Ticketing and an increases in prices. The argument is that increased prices could cause less attendance for the casual viewer and an increase of season tickets pricing.

The not as important games could also be effected if they seem to increase in price. This has been mentioned by many fan groups as an increasing occurrence from worldwide clubs struggling with ticket prices.

The A-league clubs must still be realistic with their push to gain more support for football in Australia’s saturated sporting environment.

Australia is no stranger to successful rises in domestic league viewership and stadium-goers.

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is recorded to have helped garner a big increase in casual viewers to regular supporters for domestic leagues.

It’s possible this profit-building option in Australia could backfire tremendously and impact the league’s development and fan numbers. Something it cannot afford, quite literally.

The league needs more investment there is no denying that, but this volatile option could do more harm than good for Australian football.

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