Football Australia released their financial reports from the year ended 30 June 2021 , providing intriguing insights into how the administrated navigated the troubles of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was estimated that the capped attendances for the 2020/21 A-League Men’s Finals Series resulted in $2 million revenue lost, with the postponed 2019/2020 season resulting in a net loss of $6 million.
For the 2021 financial year, the administration had a net operating deficit of $5.7 million, which is an increase from the $1.8 million deficit experienced in 2020.
However, in a positive sign for Football Australia, the organisation had a net surplus of $11.8 million, compared to the $1.8 million deficit in 2020. This can be attributed to the “discontinued operations” arising from the unbundling of the A-Leagues worth $10.2 million with a $1.6 million surplus from ordinary operations.
The total revenue of Football Australia for 2021 financial year equated to $82.8 million, down nearly $30 million from the previous financial year. The smaller revenue can be explained through smaller broadcast rights deals signed by Football Australia, including the reported $32 million re-negotiated deal with FoxSports in June of last year for the A_League and W-League, with a $19.3 million reduction in broadcast revenue compared to the previous year.
Sponsorship also experienced a reduction in $10.3 million in revenue due to the expiry of sponsorship contracts from former A-League naming rights sponsor Hyundai, Mini-Roos naming rights sponsor ALDI and Socceroos naming rights sponsor Caltex.
$21.8 million worth of grants were provided to A-League Men and A-League Women Clubs in the 2021 financial year, whereas $1.4 million was provided to state member federations.
The distributions from Football Australia for the 2021 financial year was down from the year prior, with $37.3 million provided in grants and distributions provided in the 2020 financial year.
Revealed within the financial statements of Football Australia’s 2021 financial year also includes that the administration officially transferred responsibility for the operations of the A-Leagues to the APL on the 5th of July of this year, with the APL taking full operational control of the A-Leagues moving forward with Football Australia possessing a regulatory role moving forward.
Football Australia’s Annual Review can be found by clicking the link here.
