Football Federation Australia has been warned that its plans to cut off links with alcohol sponsors "could threaten other major sports sponsorships and broadcast rights deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars," according to Simon Canning of THE AUSTRALIAN. FFA "was considering an approach" by the federal government's National Preventative Health Agency anti-binge-drinking program to take a $7.5M sponsorship package for its Good Sports program. If the A-League sponsorship deal was accepted, FFA "would require" Adelaide United to end its $300,000 deal with brewer Coopers. FFA "has been approached privately" by alcohol companies and major sports concerned that the move "could put pressure on sponsorship of other sports." The fallout "could be far greater than just sports sponsorship," the FFA has been warned. It could affect media rights if broadcast rights holders "could not generate ad revenue" from alcohol companies. Even pourage rights at grounds "could be affected." One source said that the FFA was talking to the government about a possible sponsorship, but the association "remained open to attracting a big-paying alcohol sponsor." The source said, "If they could land a major sponsor they would prefer that as there are too many question marks around a government sponsor, such as what effect a change in government could have on the deal" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 6/18).
