It's not often that a Soccer Australia decision polarises the soccer community. There have been a few of course (dumped clubs, logos, match venues) but in the general maelstrom of Oz soccer politics throughout David Hill's reign have we rarely seen a reaction like the one to the new television rights deal.

On the surface, a $25 million injection of funds over ten years sounds fine. It will certainly prevent bankruptcy, and with the additional funding from FIFA (via Oceania) it would seem that SocAus' short-term financial problems will be minimal. But did David Hill really get the best available deal for Australian soccer? The answer, almost certainly, is no. But that probably won't worry Hill. He was gone almost before the ink on the contract was dry.

The cynics have already had a field day, suggesting (with straight faces) that $25 million is pocket money for a commercial television network which paid $20 million for the last bidding rights in the next AFL television rights war. For $25 million, it is worth speculating that Seven could bury soccer in a timeslot not dissimilar to their rugby union broadcasts. After all, AFL chief Wayne Jackson has gone on record more than once suggesting that soccer is the AFL's number one enemy…..

The NSL clubs were the first to raise suspicion over the deal, claiming that $17million will go to the federation with about $8million going to the clubs. In a league of fifteen clubs that works out to a modest $53,000 per club per year. Hardly the security blanket the clubs were looking for considering they have shared around the $700,000 mark for the past two seasons (after taking into account all associated tv rights revenue, Asia etc). It moved one prominent Sydney club official to comment that if we believe the universally accepted business principle that money value doubles every seven or so years, the new deal television deal is not as wonderful underneath as it looks on top.

The Seven network's motives are also under scrutiny, with the local rights deal seen as a forerunner to a serious bid for 2002 WC broadcast rights. While the network is expected to give the Socceroos and Olyroos appropriate promotion in the lead-up to major matches, their disdain of the Ericsson Cup has already surfaced with the news that rights for the domestic competition have been off-loaded to the ABC. This, in itself, is no bad thing. For many people it will mean they can view national league matches for the first time since the ABC last had the rights.

SBS can whinge, and in fact probably have a legitimate right to, but their coverage of the national league had slowly deteriorated over the past two seasons. It reached its nadir toward the end of last season when their one hour weekly highlights package consisted of about 30-33 minutes of actual footage, while On the Ball was first slashed then burned, reduced to a short segment during Friday night's World Sports. In short, they didn't deserve the rights any longer.

Hill had promised to get Australian soccer on a commercial network. On one level he succeeded, but the danger now is that the national league may not be seen on commercial television for at least ten years. It will be difficult to attract the BIG corporate dollars while that remains the case, and Seven will be under no obligation to promote the local competition during telecasts of international matches. Their coverage of the Confederations Cup in January will certainly make interesting viewing.

The entire affair could get very messy over the next twelve months, and just think, we've got a whole decade of it to look forward to.