Call it off if no TV deal
Perth Glory owner’s view at odds with FFA
ONE of the A-League’s longest-standing owners has called for this season to be declared over if a deal can’t be struck with Fox Sports to show the remaining games.
Perth owner Tony Sage said he thought a compromise would be found with the broadcaster, but said if not it would be “nonsense” to spend millions of dollars on a competition that “99.9 per cent of people” wouldn’t see.
Sage’s view, which is shared by at least one other owner, is at odds with Football Federation Australia’s determination to play all the games come what may – not least to keep FFA’s side of its broadcast contract.
With talks between FFA and Fox Sports still ongoing over both the plans to finish this season and the broadcaster’s contract for $57 million a year to show the next three campaigns, the clubs believe they have to know for sure by next Tuesday if the final 32 games will be played to the schedule put forward by FFA.
Players are due to be tested for the coronavirus in coming days with a view to returning to training in the middle of next week.
More than 100 have technically come off contract pending the activation of a shortterm pay deal to finish the season at a hub in Sydney – the costs of which Sage said shouldn’t be incurred if the games are not available to TV viewers.
“I think the games will be shown in the end, but if they’re not going to be broadcast then I don’t think they should go ahead,” Sage said.
“Absolutely I’d like to see them played if a deal is done with Fox Sports – but if there’s no broadcast and no crowds, it’s nonsense to spend $5m or $6m on games that 99.9 per cent of people won’t get to see.
“From a competition point of view, of course you’d like to finish the season. We still don’t know what’s going to happen this year with the Asian Champions League, a competition that’s dear to my heart, but if that gets scrapped this year I’d like to finish the A-League so as to be able to finish in a position to get into the ACL next year.
“But that’s all dependent on getting the games broadcast.”