If staying in an unhealthy marriage is worse than divorce, optimists might view the impending break-up of Fox Sports and the FFA as a good step. At least for the long term. And only if the game can survive the immediate hardship caused by a painful separation.

With the competition suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the broadcaster withheld its final quarterly payment for FFA due this week despite senior A-League sources claiming Foxtel, the parent company of Fox Sports, had little legal justification to do so. While those technicalities will be solved by lawyers, what's clear is the 15-year relationship between Fox Sports and FFA appears to have fractured beyond repair.

Plenty of senior figures in football believe that's the case. Some clubs are preparing for a near $3.6 million black hole in next season's budget, believing Fox Sports may have shown its last A-League match.

For the smaller clubs, that sum is more than they spend on their entire playing roster and is the main revenue stream. For Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC, however, their share of the TV money represents just 15 per cent of their total revenue. It's a considerable amount, but hardly the lifeblood that TV money is for NRL clubs.