A-Leagues and Network Ten agree to revert to commercials only being shown when play is already halted.
A-Leagues bosses have pledged to return to more “natural” breaks in play to show ads during Saturday night games on Channel 10, after mounting disquiet from fans over artificial drinks breaks being inserted into games.
While the one game shown on 10 each week is the only one affected by ads, with Paramount Plus showing all games unaffected, A-League fans had reacted with anger after Sydney FC’s 1-1 draw with Western United on the evening of February 12 was halted for drinks breaks in each half, despite a cool temperature and sheeting rain.
A-Leagues CEO Danny Townsend said that incident had sparked a discussion with ViacomCBS, owner of Network Ten, over the most appropriate ways to avoid ads interrupting the flow of a game.
Townsend said the broadcaster will revert to using a range of “natural” breaks in play – such as after the scoring of a goal, a significant injury stoppage, or drinks breaks where they have already been mandated by the match commissioner on health and safety grounds.
Under A-League rules the drinks breaks are meant to be invoked when the so-called “wet bulb” temperature – a combination of meteorological data – is forecast to hit a defined point. Historically that has happened regularly during the A-League season over summer but many of the Saturday night games aired on 10 this season have been played in unusually cool temperatures.
Townsend said that having ads screened during the game was a necessary function of having the A-League screened on commercial free to air TV, as it is during coverage of other sports, but would be restricted to points where the game had already paused.
“These are the learnings you have in the early stages of a long-term deal with a brand new broadcast partner, and the fact that 10 have worked with us on this is something to applaud,” he said.
“After we had those drinks breaks in the Sydney FC game against Western United on February 12, APL sat down with 10 and reiterated the sort of natural breaks that can be utilised. We’ve heard the fan commentary since, but it’s important to note we were already working on it.
“The key thing is that we can’t have the integrity and the flow of the game affected by pausing when otherwise the ball would be in play – through consultation with 10, we’ll revert back to a position where that’s the case.
“When you have a major free to air broadcast partner like we have in 10, the commercial requirements dictate you will have ads – the key is that 10 now feel comfortable using an array of natural pauses.
“We all want to present the best possible viewing experience for fans in the stadium and at home, and this shows we can listen to them and be responsive.”
