Socceroos, Matildas success boosts cash for Football Australia

afr.com:

The Socceroos’ FIFA Men’s World Cup success and the rising popularity of the Matildas generated a 48 per cent increase in revenue during the last financial year for the governing body, Football Australia.

Almost $20 million in prizemoney from the Socceroos’ performance, and a large increase in sponsorship and merchandise sales, delivered total revenue of $113.3 million for the financial year ending June 30, compared with $76.5 million the previous year.

Football Australia chief executive James Johnson after the governing body’s AGM on Wednesday. James Brickwood

The results mean Football Australia has made as much money as it typically did when it received revenue from the national competition, the A-Leagues. The most amount of money Football Australia ever generated before the split of the A-Leagues from the governing body was $132 million – in FY18.

Football Australia chief executive James Johnson said those figures would continue to grow thanks to the Matildas’ historic FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign and the rising popularity of the sport.

“When we had the A-Leagues, the majority of our revenues at Football Australia was coming through them. We’ve effectively replaced the revenue that the A-Leagues was bringing in,” Mr Johnson said.

The increase in revenue was driven by a $20 million prize for the Socceroos’ performance at the World Cup, and a 32 per cent increase in sponsorship from $13.7 million to $20.2 million. Mr Johnson said deals with Subway and Lego were major contributors to the increase. But a $3.1 million boost in funding from grants and $2.1 million increase in money from merchandising also contributed to the growth.

Football Australia’s net surplus was $671,000, compared with a $3.6 million profit the