A-League Fixtures to be Played in Empty Stadiums

Image via nationalpremierleagues.com.au

The FFA have today confirmed that all A-League, W-League and NPL fixtures across Australia will be played, but in empty confines.

This decision follows the news that the government that anyone travelling into Australia must go through a 14-day self-exclusion period to avoid spreading the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

Following their 3-0 loss at the weekend, the struggling Melbourne Victory will not be playing in the next two matches of the A-League season. As they are returning from Wellington, New Zealand, they must enter the self-exclusion program.

As will the Phoenix, who have been instructed to play all remaining A-League fixtures in Australia.

The W-League Grand Final, set to be played between Sydney FC and Melbourne City, will be played behind closed doors with no fans admitted and only players, coaches and registered officials and ground staff allowed entry on the day.

A date has not yet been made official for the Grand Final, leaving open the possibility for postponement of the game should the current situation worsen.

All NPL and state league FFA Cup fixtures have been given the green light to go ahead, but with strict safety measures implemented by the FFA in order to reduce the chances of people contracting COVID-19.

This will perhaps have the biggest impact on the game, particularly at the community level.

Soccer at the community level is dependent on its fans and a reliable source of income on game days through ticket sales, food, drink and other means.

Some may feel the more sensible decision for NPL and state league FFA Cup fixtures would be to temporarily postpone, but that’s an argument for another time.

FFA CEO James Johnson had this to say in a press conference earlier today.

“The scale of football means that we have a key role to play in maintaining the health and well-being of Australians, as well as their families and the wider community. We are doing so by allowing people to play, in line with the current Government position but with additional guidance to further improve social distancing at football fields around the country.”

“We have been working closely with our stakeholders, Government health officials and our own chief medical officer to develop our policies for the whole of the game following the COVID-19 outbreak. The situation is subject to constant change, and further measures may be necessary in the future.”

“The health and safety of all members of the football community, including players, coaches, referees, volunteers, administrators and fans continues to be of paramount importance. We will continue to work with the Government and seek advice as the situation changes.”

The half an hour long press conference can be found at the Twitter link above.

The ever-evolving virus has resulted in many decisions such as this eventually overturned in favour of complete postponement. It happened in the Serie A and La Liga in the past few weeks.

Games were allowed to go ahead in empty stadiums, but eventually the remaining fixtures were postponed until further notice.

More recently, the Premier League reluctantly followed suit after news surfaced that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea starlet Callum Hudson-Odoi tested positive for COVID-19.

Juventus defender Daniele Rugani and Valencia centre-half Ezequiel Garay are two other recent cases of players who have tested positive following the postponement of their respective domestic competitions.

Do you feel the A-League will eventually bite the bullet too? Or are they doing the right thing by trying to get matches played?

Let us know on Twitter @Soccersceneau and get involved in the discussion. Furthermore, don’t forget to subscribe to our weekly newsletter for more news just like this.

But above all else, stay safe during these tough times.

 

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The A-League has a visibility problem and only Network 10 can fix it

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Image Credit: Australian Professional Leagues

The A-Leagues are just over a month away and with the final stages of the Australia Cup in progress, attention should be firmly turning towards Australian football. Instead, there is a familiar problem. The domestic game once again is struggling to cut through.

The A-Leagues recently secured a three-year extension with Paramount+ and Network 10. The agreement keeps every A-League Men’s and Women’s match on Paramount+, while the free-to-air broadcaster will show one men’s match each week. Following on from their initial five-year deal signed in 202, it’s great that the partnership appears in it for the long haul.

But the big question remains: why is the product not being sold to audiences loudly on the eve of the season? Where is the noise?

Stan Sport and the Nine Network’s Premier League has shown what can happen when a broadcaster actively promotes its football product. The A-League has good numbers in places – one in seven Australians claim to support an A-League team – but the product lacks the exposure it deserves with less than 7% of Australians actively watching the league. It rarely feels like a major sporting product.

The A-Leagues’ current deal

Network 10 and Paramount+ have invested heavily in Australian football. The previous deal before the three-year extension (signed 2021) cost the broadcasters $40 million per year.  A-League viewing on Paramount+ reached record levels in 2025/26 – viewing was up 55 per cent compared with 2021/22. The 2025/26 season reached 4.1 million live viewers.

Those numbers should be celebrated. But those successes are dependent on viewers signing up and tuning into the streaming service of Paramount+. The competition does not receive continual exposure across the Network 10 ecosystem. One men’s match is shown free-to-air each week. That is the contractual commitment. Many of those matches are pushed onto secondary channels rather than the main network.

The Premier League, whilst being a very different product, is receiving much more attention from its Australian broadcasters. Despite being hosted as late as 2:30am, it still receives a massive marketing boost. Stan Sports’ newest campaign boasts flashy billboards in major cities with stars such as Erling Haaland and Bruno Fernandes. Meanwhile, the A-League sits in the corner.

Nine is reportedly prepared to spend up to $860 million over six years to retain the Premier League beyond its current deal, which expires at the end of the 2027/28 season. That would be roughly $145 million per year. There is a reason Nine is willing to make that investment.

Since taking over the Premier League, Stan Sport subscriptions have increased by 40 per cent. Nine very rarely puts the Premier League on free-to-air; marquee matches such as Manchester City against Tottenham Hotspur in 2025 saw a total reach of 1.1 million. That’s nearly 14% of the A-League’s total yearly viewership.

I understand the talent discrepancy, but the lack of broadcast investment to make people aware of the local competitions, and the everyday fan’s ability to access them, is significant in contrast to the Premier League. 

Competition is getting smarter

The A-Leagues are not operating in a vacuum. Australian sport is becoming increasingly aggressive about broadcast exposure. The AFL’s current seven-year broadcast agreement is worth $4.5 billion.

These top-end agreements are not realistic for the A-League, but perhaps more relevant comparisons are Australian basketball’s NBL and cricket’s Big Bash.

Basketball has a similar challenge to football, competing for attention in summer. Its clubs are concentrated in major Australian cities, and also rely on younger audiences and digital engagement to drive growth. During the 2025/26 season, average audiences on Network 10’s primary channel increased by 18 per cent and the NBL’s 2026 finals coverage increased viewership by 36 per cent.

Importantly, all NBL finals coverage was shown on the main 10 channel as opposed to regular season games on 10 Bold and 10 Peach. Then came a major strategic move. Having been with Network 10 since 2021, the NBL chose not to renew its contract and went to market.

While the NBL’s streaming rights have remained with ESPN (primarily owned by Walt Disney Co.), Channel Nine swooped to buy the free-to-air NBL rights for the upcoming 2026/27 season. They’ll show two matches each week, with marquee games to appear on Channel 9.

The deal also includes a weekly studio program, a dedicated 9Now hub and broader promotion through Wide World of Sports. This is in direct competition with the A-League. Not only will both have free-to-air matches on Saturday nights, but access to more content from beyond the sport will be available for free.

The BBL provides another useful comparison. Under Cricket Australia’s current agreement, Seven and 7plus show 33 of the 43 BBL matches, including three finals. On average, that is at  least three-to-four free games a week.

The point is not that every A-League match needs to be on a major free-to-air channel. It cannot realistically achieve that. But despite the A-League’s broadcasters investing big in Australian football, they’ve still been drowned out when compared to Stan and the Premier League. Meanwhile, the average Australian does not have the same access to the A-League as established competitions such as the AFL. 

The BBL has four games a week free, the AFL has three, the NBL two. The A-League languishes behind with a single game. Not only does it hurt diehards, but it stunts any growth from the casual fan.

What the A-Leagues need to do

The A-Leagues are now tied to Paramount+ and Network 10 for another three years. That makes the next step obvious. The league needs to make the most of the partnership. Simply, the broadcasters have to be doing more.

Accessibility is the key. Network 10 has to be actively promoting the A-League with free-to-air shows that have analysis. 10’s free app and Paramount+ must make the A-League the first thing you see.

Football Australia has done great things with the Australia Cup. Select matches are available free through Football Australia’s YouTube channel alongside coverage on Network 10 and Paramount+. That is smart and will attract casual audiences, without asking them to invest financially.

But the pressure also has to fall on Network 10. If they’ve invested in Australian football for the long term, they need to support the investment properly. Promote games days prior to kick-off; cover the game’s stories even during the off-season. If Network 10 and Paramount want a return on their investment it is in their best interest to have the sport be a consistent and routine presence. 

The A-League does not necessarily need another broadcast deal. It needs a broadcaster that invests and believes in the product it spent so much to secure. The football is there, and audiences are growing. Now the promotion needs to match the ambition.

Gold Coast International drives futsal growth as international interest surges

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Image Credits: Experience Gold Coast

The 2027 Gold Coast International is set to be the biggest year of growth in the tournament’s history. The tournament has become one of Australia’s premier futsal events. Attracting the best teams from not just Australia but around the world. Andrew Parkes is the founder and managing director of the Gold Coast City Futsal Association and an advisory board member at Football Queensland. He says the tournament, and its international reputation, is only strengthening.

“Registrations are actually a step up from what they were last year,” Parkes said.

“We’ve got several teams from New Zealand. At the moment, we’ve got some Pacific Island teams that have expressed interest in coming. We got interest from Japan, and from England as well.

“We’ve got over 140 teams so far, and that’s not including anything from the local areas.”

Over 200 teams attended the 2026 edition, and the Gold Coast International is well set to break that record next year. The figures show the tournament is becoming more than a local competition. It is building a strong national and international presence.

Football Queensland and Football Australia unite behind growth

Parkes believes collaboration has played a major role in the development of futsal in Queensland. The tournament is sanctioned by both Football Queensland and Football Australia. He praised Football Queensland for its work across the sport. He said the organisation has helped create a stronger and more professional futsal system. This relationship between state and national bodies and the event has allowed the Gold Coast to play host to the national competition as well. This ensures shared resources including referees and courts.

“Football Queensland have been a major driving force and a godsend in relation to the development of futsal,” Parkes said.

“We’ve got the nationals the week before the Gold Coast International now. We’re working in harmony and synergy and supporting each other.

“I think the proofs in the pudding, not just with the Gold Coast International, but with the exposure and obviously the diversity of teams that attend. But then the further development in our local leagues, and that’s resulted in.”

E-sports adds another pathway for players and clubs

E-sports has become another major part of the Gold Coast International. Parkes said he had explored the idea for several years and that the tournament allows the community to grow beyond just the physical players on the court. The use of e-sports also allows friends and families to have an interactive experience with simulators and games whilst at the Gold Coast International.

“We launched e-sports about 2 years ago, just with a bit of a light feel. We’ve incorporated the competition into the tournament fees, which is excellent. So it doesn’t cost anybody anymore to be part of it,” Parkes said.

“It actually allows the clubs and academies to extend on their current offerings as it is at the moment and allows gaming players to be part of the club, to be part of the atmosphere and to join and that unity and be part of that sporting community.”

“We had three times the amount of teams that we had from the first year of e-sports. We’re looking to probably even double that again this year, which is really exciting as well.”

New pathways shape the tournament’s future

Parkes wants the Gold Coast International to keep expanding. He is now looking at ways to create pathways beyond the tournament itself. He said the use of its international experiences that can be earned through the tournament is not only about investing in players. But ensuring coaches have a more time-efficient avenue to be involved with futsal. It also gives more coaches the chance to work with players at an international tournament.

“We’ve now created the Gold Coast International All Stars, which is now embraced by many of the coaches and the players,” Parkes said.

“That also provides coaches who don’t have the time or the ability or whatever for the state teams, and the commitment that they need to put in the state teams throughout the year.”

“It allows us to have a lot more outreach to far more coaches that have a lot of passion and enthusiasm, and be part of the Futsal community. They want to build on the players’ abilities but may not have that year-long or eight-month-long exposure that is required by the state Futsal team coaching staff.”

For Parkes, the future is about widening access while continuing to raise standards. The tournament is growing its international reach, strengthening partnerships and creating new opportunities for both physical and e-sports players. The Gold Coast International is no longer just a tournament. It is becoming a broader platform for the development of futsal and its wider community.

For more information on the Gold Coast International and to inquire about competing in the 2027 edition, visit their website.

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