Tracey Holmes believes the potential growth within the women’s game could protect it from the drastic cuts being feared in the wake of coronavirus.
While all sport in Australia will suffer to some extent, Holmes doesn’t envision the W-League will carry a disproportionate amount of the cost-cutting burden at the FFA.
“Just speaking to voices who have a lot of experience in sport and have seen the rise of the female athlete…it would be a very brave organisation that would say at this point, because we’ve got to make cut backs, what we’re cutting back on is the women’s game”, she told Box2Box.
“If you’re looking at the area that was growing and the one with the most potential for growth, it was the women’s game, and that goes across all sports”.
Like many across the state of sports finance Holmes also expressed great concern for Foxtel, and acknowledged the landscape is set for a major upheaval as they reduce their resources.
“Probably the biggest concerns I have in the sports market at the moment is Foxtel, because the signs are all bad. I feel terribly sorry for them, I feel sorry for people who have worked there and lost their jobs”.
With the A-League and NRL particularly reliant on the funds they provide, the future is now shaping as a great unknown.
“I think what’s going to happen is we’re just going to see it done differently in the future. Not necessarily with TV channels, pay TV”.