- Slater furious Socceroos World Cup qualifier was behind paywall
- He says the Matildas get ‘the royal treatment’ from Red 10
- Encourages Football Australia to take a stance against Network 10
Australian football legend Robbie Slater has criticized Network 10 for its treatment of the Socceroos, who he claims are trying to cash in on the Matildas’ widespread popularity.
The Socceroos held on to a 2-0 victory over Bangladesh last week in sweltering conditions, but many fans in Australia were left frustrated at not being able to watch.
The World Cup qualifier was behind a paywall on Paramount Plus, meaning fans had to sign up for the streaming service to watch Graham Arnold’s team play.
“It was a shame that the only way I could watch the Socceroos game against Bangladesh on Thursday night was on Paramount+, 10’s streaming service,” Slater wrote in a column for News Corporation.
Robbie Slater (pictured) says it was a shame Australian fans were forced to sign up to Paramount+ to watch a World Cup qualifier.
Slater says Network 10’s motivation for signing a new deal with Football Australia is to capitalize on the Matildas’ huge popularity.
“I got calls from people who wanted to watch the game but couldn’t. The game should have been on the main 10 channel, or at least 10 Bold or 10 Peach.
‘However, with the Matildas the story is completely different. They get the royal 10 treatment even in friendly matches, as we saw in the two-match series against China.
“The Socceroos weren’t playing a friendly against Bangladesh, it was a World Cup qualifier, a game that really meant something.”
Slater went on to say that Network 10 does what it wants with Socceroos and A-League matches and apparently gets its way.
“The FA (Football Australia) must do what is right for the game in Australia as guardians of the sport in this country,” Slater wrote.
“But by allowing Network 10 to continue treating the Australian football community with contempt, the FA is not doing the right thing for the sport.
‘While the FA may not get as much money from selling the Socceroos and Matildas broadcast rights to another broadcaster, in the long term football will be better off in Australia.
Slater says Matildas get ‘the royal treatment’ from 10, even in friendly matches
“The problem is that the FA can’t see that at the moment, and are apparently happy to accept Network 10’s disgusting treatment of the Socceroos and our domestic competitions, as long as the price is right.”
The Socceroos’ final qualifying match is on June 11 against Palestine and that match can be seen live on 10, 10 Play and Paramount Plus.