Jimmae
Brownlow Medallist
AFL season shut-down: Doubts over footy in 2020 after 'unprecedented' coronavirus threat
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan says there is no guarantee that any more football will be played this year, as he admitted the industry faces a fight for the survival of its 18 clubs.
www.theage.com.au
The AFL has been talking to the NAB, the league's banker, about obtaining a significant line of credit to help the game survive a shut-down that will see savage cuts to clubs and unprecedented
austerity measures.
AFL sources said the amount borrowed is likely to easily exceed the mooted media figure of $250 million, but that the AFL may borrow from multiple financial institutions, given the likes of the NAB may prefer to spread the risk.
The massive borrowing would, in effect, allow the AFL to underwrite the 18 clubs, most of whom would struggle to stay afloat otherwise.
So apparently the AFL doesn't have enough money to keep things afloat, which seems entirely ridiculous given their figures in recent years, but we're talking about a very unimaginative industry here, so who knows what their forecasting looks like. Under this new paradigm, perhaps clubs can do more to engage supporters and generate new revenue sources?
I don't know how extensive the digital aspect of the rights agreement is, but I would think live-streaming and other innovative video content would be an easy revenue spin on YouTube (or other platforms).
What else can we think of?
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