Foxtel bringing the community together!

Aussie fans under the doona in Canberra to watch the Socceroos take on Japan.

"I'm not happy because we lost."

"Mum, why didn't Scharzwer move for that penalty?"

Just a couple of comments that floated by in the night from the couch experts.

I'm so popular now I've got FOX!

Seems like lots of people are delighted by my return.

First question on return has been.

"Hi, Eamonn, you've got Fox, can we come round for the Japan game?"

Second question

"How was your trip?"

Should be a great game tonight, just hope I can find a seat at my place with my new very best friends.

Socceroos viewing figures a huge PayTV event.

July 9, 2007


FOX SPORTS KICKS A GOAL WITH SOCCEROOS


The Australia v Oman AFC Asian Cup match gave FOX SPORTS a significant win on Sunday night with the game attracting an average audience of 345,000 – one of the highest audiences to watch a sporting event in Subscription TV history.

The Australia v Oman game also attracted a reach (total viewers) of 707,000 according to ratings recorded by OzTAM Data.

These figures do not include people who watched the match at one of 2,200 registered FOX SPORTS venues around Australia.

Wake up Australia.

A friend of mine from Perth tells of his frustration at missing out on free to air coverage of the Socceroos. Where can he take his young kids, football players, to watch the game?

Fox are claiming huge PAY tv viewing figures, but as Craig points out below, the losers may be football in the long term.

Hi Eamonn

Tried to put some comments on your site with no success.

Nice work!

Interesting that on the day when we should have been warming the set for the Oman match we were with our kids at an AFL Multicultural Day (with some Burmese and Chinese kids).

We will go to the telecast on Friday and leave the kids with my mum (who is over visiting) but we are witnessing the FFA surrendering its future.

Cheers Craig

Got a similar experience? Let me know

All the media stars!

Simon Hill (Fox Sport) is laughing not at the incredible storm in the background, but because Robbie Slater, out of picture, has taken a photo but forgot to turn the camera on.

And I thought I was the worst photographer at the Asia Cup. Sorry Robbie.

SMH's Mike Cockerill, The Age's Michael Lynch, and AFC Director of Communications Clare Kenny-Tipton discuss stuff.

What are they laughing at?

Simon Hill, Robbie Slater and a guy with big glasses.

FoxSports Simon Hill and Robbie Slater took a minute out in the middle of the most amazing storm. Half the supports for the opening ceremony crashed over 40 metres to the ground just moments before.

A wild wild storm which has delayed if not cancelled the Opening game and ceremony.

Maybe Ta Ta bye instead of Tata Young tonight.

Simon Hill Australia's premier match caller, and English Premier League winner Robbie Slater could be having a night off.

The photo was taken by FoxSports producer Murray Shaw, who I used to play football with at the University of Canberra one hundred years ago.

Murray was a full-back in those days.

John Howard - Have you got Fox Sports?

Aussie Prime Minister will be able to watch the Socceroos on Fox at the Asia Cup


If the Aussies get to the last four of the Asia Cup, and they probably will, do you want to see pictures of John Howard in his new Socceroo tracksuit jumping up and down in front of his FoxSports channel.

All the kids and parents who would be watching in PRIMETIME if the game was on Free-to-air will not want to see it either. This is wrong and the FFA need to get Fox to the table and renegotiate a one-off deal.

How does it help Fox if 70% of Aussies can't watch what would be the biggest sporting viewer figures of the year.

Australia v Japan Final of the Asia Cup at 7.30pm.

Which Aussie wouldn't tune in if this happened?

Fox to ruin the Asian Cup spectacle?

Pity the children who can't watch the Socceroos

With the Asian Cup only been shown on Fox, the number of Socceroos fans able to see the games will be severely reduced.


However a run to the final in prime time should give FoxSports it's biggest viewing figures ever.



With the tournament only being shown on Fox, and Aussie media's reluctance to cover anything outside its own shores, the fantastic Free To Air channels will surely find it hard to fit news of the Socceroos into their bulletins.



Don't expect too much in the newspapers either.



When Football in the Capital recently spoke to the FFA they said, "they weren't expecting too many reporters travelling from Australia."

Still you can keep up-to-date with the Aussies through this blog. Someone has to keep the non-Fox subscribers informed, so I'll do my best:)

Four hosts is crazy

As a fan or journalist going to the Asia Cup the problems are now clear.

Four country hosts is mad.

Imagine if the tournament was held in one or even two countries. The atmosphere create by the various travelling fans would be wonderful for World relations.

This way it is severely diluted. Although the Qataris have overcome this problem by hiring 10,000 Vietnamese fans to support Qatar!

How do you plan for the second stage. The increasing costs of moving between countries is prohibitive for many football fans in Asia.

Media have to contend with three or four countries' regulations and systems.

You couldn't make it up really.

Want to fly in for the quarter-final. Good luck. Australia could be in Malaysia or Thailand, with the final in Indonesia.

Stop laughing. Somebody actually got paid to plan this tournament, and now they've probably been promoted.

Meanwhile the rest of us will be trying to figure out which country we are in underneath the various smog filled skies!

Fox Sport never looked better!

All Asian Cup games live on Fox. Hooray!

All 32 Asian Cup games will be shown live on Fox. Hooray!

The timing of the Asian Cup clashes will give Australia’s football public prime time access to the Socceroos as the group matches kick off at the following fan-friendly times:
Sunday 8 July – Australia v Oman (7.30pm)
Friday 13 July – Australia v Iraq (7.30pm)
Monday 16 July – Australia v Thailand (10.00pm)

Canberrans can watch the Australian games on the big screen in Garema Place. The Green and Gold Army have organised this.

Also all games are on Fox so if you don't have it, you'd better get to a local football friendly pub, subscribe now, or better still find a mate with Fox.