Football Federation Australia chief executive David Gallop's recent experience encapsulates just how important the arrival of Socceroos star Tim Cahill is to the upcoming A-League season, and also to the FFA's negotiations for broadcast rights.
Gallop had agreed to meet Cahill and his management team at a prominent Melbourne restaurant and a table for four had been booked. Upon arriving Gallop asked if one more seat could be added as another guest was coming, only to be told the restaurant was full.
He then quietly mentioned Cahill would be at the table. Suddenly the staff flew into action and the party was accommodated, and even moved to a more prominent table in the middle of the room.
"It shows you the sheer popularity of Tim," Gallop told the Australian Financial Review. "Then when you speak to the television networks he will often come up in the first few sentences. It is great to have our number one target in Tim back in the A-League, and a number of current or fringe Socceroos back too."
Gallop said the build-up to the 2016-17 season, which kicks off on Friday night, has been exciting and says Cahill at Melbourne City, Rhys Williams at Perth Glory, Brett Holman at Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory's James Troisi are examples of good Australian players choosing to return home from abroad.
Ticket sales have also been strong, particularly the first derby between Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC on Saturday night at ANZ Stadium for which a crowd of at least 60,000 is expected. There are hopes the Melbourne derby the following weekend, Cahill's first match in his new home town, could attract 50,000 spectators.
But this season off the field is just as vital for Gallop and the FFA. Last Friday the exclusivity or "first rights" period for Fox Sports to negotiate a new broadcast deal with the FFA expired – Fox and SBS are coming into the last season of a four-year $160 million deal – and Gallop can now start officially talking to others to drum up support.
The FFA is particularly keen to get one of the big three commercial television networks to buy some rights, and is said to want to double the annual rights value to up to $80 million. It is understood the FFA will be meeting with interested parties over the coming fortnight, including Optus and pay-TV network beIN Sports.
"The TV negotiations are now at a stage where we can take our proposition to the market," Gallop said. Fox Sports will still have a big say though, with the pay-TV network holding "last rights" that give it the chance to match any other offers FFA receives. Gallop expects negotiations to take "many months".
Doubling the $40 million current figure may not be feasible either, given that the FFA can't sell the last round of Socceroos world cup qualifiers – that is done directly to the market by rights holder Lagardere (the former World Sports Group) – or the Asian Cup, which it did last time. Therefore it is probably taking about $30 million worth of rights to the market this time in the form of A-League and W-League rights and some early-stage Socceroos games and friendlies. Doubling that would bring in $60 million.
To help boost A-League interest, the FFA will this week roll out a major new advertising campaign aiming to win over more families with a particular focus on the 2 million participants around the country. About half of the children, men and women who play the game are yet to identify with an A-League club, and the FFA has already launched ads featuring players asking "I've got a team. Who's yours?"
Meanwhile Gallop and the FFA have many perennial issues to deal with, including helping the 10 privately owned A-League clubs on the ever-winding path towards financial sustainability.
The owners have reportedly formed their own association and intend to press for more say in decision-making and eventually a self-managed league, some pundits and fans are pushing for a second division that would mean promotion and relegation between the two leagues and representatives from world governing body FIFA have been in town checking on the FFA's corporate governance standards.
"A fully separate A-League is not on our agenda for now," said Gallop. "We operate in a uniquely competitive market here and have to be in an environment where we can make disciplined decisions. But it is still hard going in club land [financially], we are cognisant of that."
Four clubs last season reportedly broke even – grand final winner Adelaide United, Victory, Wanderers and the Central Coast Mariners, though the last was from a much lower cost base.
To get that number higher, the FFA needs a big uplift in the next broadcast deal and both it and the clubs need to bring in more commercial income. The FFA has re-signed Hyundai as a major sponsor and other brands such as Aldi, Caltex and TAG Heuer, while lifting the restriction on the ability of club's to sign car sponsors.
TV-wise the FFA will need to get moving, with cricket rights soon to be on the market and Fox Sports known to be keen to get back some rights in that sport.
The hope is that Cahill scores plenty for Melbourne City this season and fires the imagination of the public, and then the TV executives chip in with some big goals themselves. It is going to be a tough match for the FFA.
