The South Australian National Football League (SANFL) and the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide football clubs have reached formal agreement on a new model for revenue sharing at Adelaide Oval.
The new agreement was ratified following the conclusion of the review of the financial model used in the inaugural season.
The model provides the AFL clubs with new revenues and inventory to enable them to share an estimated additional $3.1m in 2015, rising to $4.1m in both 2016 and 2017.
The main points of the agreement include:
- Rewarding clubs for driving attendances through attendance bonuses (the higher the crowd, the higher the return to the clubs);
- Providing the clubs with additional reserved seating income and corporate inventory;
- Delivering incentives for playing home finals at Adelaide Oval;
- Protecting the SANFL’s ability to continue to drive game development in South Australia.
SA Football Commission Chairman John Olsen said the agreement was “a good outcome” for all parties.
“The first year at Adelaide Oval was a fantastic success for South Australian football and this review has been all about reassessing the revenue model to ensure it delivers the fairest outcomes for all parties,” he said.
“We now have an agreement that delivers the lion’s share of the uplift from the move to Adelaide Oval to the two AFL clubs while also protecting the SANFL’s ability continue to develop the critical pathways to elite football in South Australia.
“This has been an exhaustive process but it’s a complex model and we had to ensure we got it right. We are now in a position where football in South Australia has a springboard for the future.”
Adelaide Crows Chairman Rob Chapman said the length of the review reflected its importance, while the outcome brought positives for all parties.
“Our loyal members and fans have taken their support to another level since we arrived at the new stadium, and we were compelled to achieve the best possible outcome to ensure the club continues to prosper,” he said.
Port Adelaide Chairman David Koch said the Club had been extremely pleased with the support of its membership and fans at the new stadium.
“Port Adelaide is looking forward to continued strong support from fans and members at our games in 2015, and we are pleased that this support will translate into solid financial returns for our club,” he said.
AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said the new Adelaide Oval had been a great success in 2014 with the best fan experience in the country and attendances beyond expectations, resulting in significant financial benefits for football in South Australia.
“South Australian fans have embraced the new stadium and their support has helped strengthen football across the state,” he said.
“The new arrangement agreed today is a win for South Australian football, providing a fair share of revenue from the success of the new stadium to the clubs and to local football.
“Without the foresight of the State Government and the passion of South Australians for both football and cricket, our competition would not have this world class facility.”
The new agreement will be in place for the next three seasons (2015-17 inclusive).
