Fox Sports remove Australian football content amid FFA negotiations

Fox Sports have cut all A-League and W-League content from their platforms as talks continue with Football Federation Australia.

Steve Corica, coach of A-League leaders Sydney FC Source: Getty Images

On Wednesday evening all of Fox Sports' Australian football content, including highlights and full match replays, was no longer available on their platforms Foxtel Go, Kayo Sports, and the on-demand section of Foxtel IQ, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald.

Fox are currently negotiating with FFA over the broadcast of the remaining 2019-20 A-League season, which they have not yet committed to.

The season will resume 16 July after the COVID-19 hiatus with a jam-packed scheduled, as confirmed on Tuesday.

Sources closely linked to the negotiations confirmed Fox are also seeking a significant reduction to their existing deal, worth a reported $57 million a season, to an alleged $11 million per year for the remaining three campaigns they are contracted to show.

"We've got no live football at the moment and we're currently reviewing all our football offerings, and that's the reason why it's not there at the moment," Peter Campbell, head of Fox Sports, said to the Herald on Thursday.

"We're having a good look at it. There's still plenty of content on there from the beIN [beIN SPORTS] properties, some La Liga and stuff like that from memory."

A Kayo customer support worker, meanwhile, said the platform was "currently reviewing our Australian football offering".

The A-League resumption will reportedly go ahead with or without Fox Sports broadcasting them.

Fox have also tried to renegotiate broadcast deals with other sports bodies including NRL and AFL.

FFA's head of leagues Greg O'Rourke played down perceived tensions with Fox on Tuesday, saying: “It is our intent to have it [the remaining A-League season] broadcast and to complete it. It is also our intent to have it broadcast by Fox.

"We’re not really working on a Plan B, even though we have a few thoughts around that, our intent is to work with our current contractual partners.”

“I don’t think there is any deadline from either party at the moment that is making it too difficult or less difficult. Both parties have agreed to negotiate in good faith for the future.

However, much of O’Rourke’s projections around the broadcast negotiations entirely contradicted the view of Perth Glory owner Tony Sage.

Last week, Sage told The Daily Telegraph: “From what I understand, D-Day is next Tuesday. I understand NRL and AFL make a far bigger contribution to the bottom line of Fox, but we haven’t had an offer the FFA are happy with yet to resume football.