Ten Network "won the exclusive free-to-air rights" to A-League and Socceroos matches from the start of next season, according to Darren Davidson of THE AUSTRALIAN. The deal "draws a line" under four years of coverage on SBS under an arrangement that "fell well short of expectations to lift the game’s public profile." Football Federation Australia CEO David Gallop said that "this is a win for football fans and an opportunity for us to showcase our game on a commercial network with a recent history of successfully covering major sport." Under the deal, which includes streaming rights, Ten will broadcast the "most popular Saturday evening A-League matches, derbies, and all finals as well as Socceroos matches on multichannel One." The deal "strikes a balancing act" between pay-TV broadcaster Fox Sports and free-to-air that takes football to a "potential new audience on Ten." Fox Sports "onsold" the free-to-air rights to Ten as part of a "record" six-year, A$346M ($255.5M) deal to broadcast matches on Foxtel. Ten acquired the rights for an estimated A$2M ($1.5M) per year, "fending off competition from the ABC" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 6/1). FOX SPORTS reported Network Ten’s "One" channel will take a live simulcast of Fox Sports’ 7:30pm Saturday match next season, "meaning the code’s best commentary team featuring the likes of Mark Bosnich, Robbie Slater, Simon Hill, Adam Peacock, Andy Harper and Tara Rushton will deliver their coverage to more fans than in the game’s history." The deal "comes after Fox Sports signed a six-year agreement with the FFA to continue live coverage of every A-League game, along with coverage of the Socceroos, Matildas, W-League and FFA Cup" (FOX SPORTS, 6/1). In Sydney, Tom Smithies reported Ten CEO Paul Anderson promised to give the A-League "the respect it deserves." He pledged to "cross-promote the coverage across the network." The selected games will "also be streamed live on the Ten Play app, as well as Foxtel Go." Though Anderson said that he was "open to the possibility of showing games on the main Ten network eventually," he added that the "priority was building viewer loyalty for the A-League." Anderson: "We've been talking to the FFA for quite some time because we believe the A-League needs to be on free-to-air, and people need to be able to find it. ... We want to give it a regular time slot, and give it the chance to grow. We can promote it through our news bulletins, through programs like The Project -- through a range of appropriate shows" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 6/1).
