Mariners welcome new broadcast agreement

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CENTRAL Coast Mariners today forwards its congratulations to Football Federation Australia (FFA) for securing new broadcast arrangements which will provide unprecedented coverage of football in Australia for existing and potential fans.

CENTRAL Coast Mariners today forwards its congratulations to Football Federation Australia (FFA) for securing new broadcast arrangements which will provide unprecedented coverage of football in Australia for existing and potential fans.

FFA this morning announced that FOX SPORTS, Foxtel and SBS will provide Australian viewers with comprehensive, world-class coverage on multiple platforms, including subscription TV, free-to-air TV, internet and digital devices from 1 July 2013. The agreement is for a period of four years.

The new broadcast arrangements will deliver a total economic value of $160 million to Australian football, and crucially provide each Hyundai A-League Club along with FFA the opportunity to implement its strategic plans for Australian football.

Under the terms of the new arrangement, SBS will show one LIVE Hyundai A-League match per week on a Friday night, while existing host broadcaster FOX SPORTS will continue to broadcast every Hyundai A-League game LIVE.

Central Coast Mariners fans will also be able to enjoy the excitement of the Hyundai A-League Finals Series on free-to-air television, with SBS broadcasting every Finals Series fixture on a one-hour delay.

Mariners Chairman, Mr Peter Turnbull, today congratulated FFA, FOX SPORTS, Foxtel, and SBS on what is a monumental day for football in Australia.

“This is a fantastic result and I would like to congratulate FFA Chairman Mr Frank Lowy, former CEO Mr Ben Buckley, and the whole team at FFA for their effort in securing a wonderful broadcast deal for football in Australia,” Turnbull said.

“FOX SPORTS have been wonderful for the game and will be throughout the new contract. However it is especially good that the code will now be on free-to-air TV. This will only grow the sport further and ultimately benefit everyone with a stake in the game.”

“The expectation is that the new TV contract will cover 100 per cent of the salary cap, which will go some way to alleviating the financial losses incurred by Club owners since the establishment of the Hyundai A-League.”

“We at the Mariners welcome this announcement as we strive to increase the sustainability of our Club, seek to grow our fan base, deliver increased, comprehensive engagement to our fans and, first and foremost, attain success on the football pitch,” he said.

Please visit www.footballaustralia.com.au for further information regarding the new set of broadcast arrangements which promise to take Australian football to new heights over the next four years.