Seven to screen four AFL matches from 2012
TEN walks away from AFL after the current season, leaving Seven to broadcast 4 Free to Air games next year.
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The Seven Network will air four AFL matches in 2012 after Network TEN confirmed it was not interested in buying 2 games per week from Seven.
Seven was able to onsell some of the 4 Free to Air matches if it had a broadcast partner but has always said it would happily screen them all, by utilising its digital channels under the new anti-siphoning rules.
“It is a bit of a shame. It’s the choice of the network. It’s purely a business decision,” Barham told The Age today.
“Everyone is disappointed but understands the decision.
Lewis Martin, General Manager, Channel Seven Melbourne said in a statement: “We are excited about the prospect of carrying all the AFL games for which we bid.
“But we wish to acknowledge that Channel TEN has been a terrific AFL broadcast partner for the past five years, and their commitment to the game over the past decade. We understand and empathise with how difficult these decisions can be.
“That said, we have planned to broadcast all four games every weekend from next year – plus finals, the Grand Final and the Brownlow Medal – and we look forward to becoming the sole free-to-air destination for AFL.”
Before the Game, produced by Roving Enterprises, will also remain with TEN for the current season but there are no decisions about its long-term future yet. There is also no word on AFL panel shows on ONE beyond this season.
FOX Sports will televise all AFL nine matches live from next season.
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52 Responses
Just cannot wait but one main problem for Foxtel’s AFL telecast in 2012 is that Eddie Everywhere might be commentating for the games. However, I am looking forward to games in glorious HD 😀
Why don’t Ten take the Melbourne Cup back for 2012?
well done TEN. Finally you have seen the light and dumped the road-kill that is the victorian handball league. Just to think for 10 years (Repeat 10 Years) TEN have been shoving that $^&# down the throats of people from NSW/QLD and for what? Getting its arse kicked in the raring by the Iron Chef before and now most of the digital channels.
Time to spend the $40M p/a you guys pissed down the drain on vicball, on thing thats people in the two most populated states actual want to watch.
My predictions:
* Foxtel will do all commentary, camerawork, graphics etc. etc. and Seven will take the Foxtel pictures instead of their own, with Seven’s commentators restricted to a panel in between quarters. That’s what’s happening at the moment in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth when Seven takes Fox’s pictures.
* One HD will remove All sport by October.
* Nine will retain the NRL.
7’s line up should look like this:
Friday and Saturday Night:
Bruce, Dennis, Matthews, Paul Roos, Richo
Saturday and Sunday Afternoon:
Brian Taylor, Dwayne Russell, Tom Harley and Tim Watson
Wildcard: Sandy Roberts. Seven stableman – loyal, has been calling for the AFL for last 2 years.
The less we see of bogan ball on tv the better.
Now lets get rid of those boofhead footy shows.
Live Wimbledon was a great way to start of for Seven, but I am sad that is in SD on 7Two and not in HD on 7Mate. Live AFL on Seven would be great. Match shown on 7Mate at 5.30 in Perth, then replayed at 8.30pm on Seven would be the way to go in the West . Do you think that this will happen guys?
@mac: Barham is David Barham, Ten’s head of sport and (until recently) executive producer of Ten’s AFL coverage.
Saturday nights in 2012 will see TEN repeating the same movies they have shown 100 times. The C.E.O Lachlan Murdoch is protecting his Fox Sports channels by dropping AFL. My tv channels will be on Channel 7 “Live” AFL and never again on TEN.
Im more shattered that Before the Game may go. CH9 nine havent had the footy rights in years but they still have a successful show. It wont work on 7 because some of the panelists are signed with 10. Its my favourite footy show.
Bit early to be shattered. TEN may well keep it….
Foxtel might be covering all games live from next year but the games that seven owns the rights to will simply be simulcast live onto foxtel. (I.e same commentators, same camera angles, mega wall etc. As for the other games they will be produced exclusively by foxtel. Overall there is almost no point getting foxtel while seven have the rights for 4 games they will show the games of that states team which means that seven in nsw, qld, sa, and wa will get coverage of up to 6 out of the nine games. Also if all of foxtels games will be in HD this means the games seven broadcasts will be recorded in HD which will mean seven mate coverage will be in HD. People need to stop complaining and accept the deal as it is not going to change. The best part of the deal is that all fta afl is on one network. And the way things are going at seven with live wimbeldon and v8’s I wouldn’t be surprised if they show the afl live.
..are these games gonna be in HD or will Ch7 do what Ch9 does and screw us with SD format!
Seven will have to go after and try and sign Fox Sports Brian Taylor & Ten’s Tim Lane and Robert Walls, and don’t forget Anthony Hudson, after all he was with Seven before moving to Ten in 2002.
The way the AFL bidding is currently set up, is that any free to air network who has the rights will lose money on them, including Seven.
Nine still want these games. The management there since it’s been taken over and been very much focused on Victoria has made the channel go backwards badly. Looks like it’s set to continue.
So… we’ve come full circle since 2001?
who’s barham?
not live joe but delayed one hour
If only Seven’s AFL didn’t look as if it was coming from a VHS tape.
Oh joy, this means Channel 10 has room in their schedule for more Adam Sandler or Hugh Grant movie marathons!!! They might even give Mean Girls a run for the zillionth time.
Seven will go after Dwayne Russel and someone like BT for sure. As for special comments they will most likely select some more recently retired players or coached. If they are smart they will poach paul Roos (a gun)
All I want is live Eagles and Dockers game. I wonder if 7 will just use the Foxtel feed as they do now for some games.
Secondary digital channels will be a boom and a blessing for Australia’s high profile sports. It’s the answer to the network dilemma – the major footy code in each state gets broadcast on the main broadcast outlet, while the lesser gets direct screening on the secondary digitals. Switch ‘n’ swap – it’s gonna work!
In the meantime, it seems 10 plans to attack 9’s NRL contract, and 7’s keen to chase the State of Origin games.
An interesting period in TV sports is looming…
Will Seven bring back the slogan “The One To Watch” after the 2012 Australian Open?
If channel seven airs some of its football on 7two or 7mate what happens to those of us who live in areas that still do not recieve those channels. I don’t have a problem with them being on seven but if they want to put them on their digital channels they need to make sure the rest of Australia gets those channels first.