Olympic fan fury over AFL

The Seven Network has been forced to respond to angry viewers who bombarded Seven’s website to complain about being lumbered with an AFL match this afternoon instead of Olympic sport.

“Football is on and televised every weekend. Olympics comes every 4 years,” forum user musicdancerecords posted on the site.

“I was all excited and prepared to sit and watch the Diving today – but guess what – Football is obviously more important to Channel 7.”

“Australia are likely to win at least one or two medals this afternoon, we will be forced to watch a low-table game of Australian Rules,” user mygoodnessyouaredumb wrote.

“Seven are a disgrace (sic) to the country.”

Seven Network has defended the move, saying SBS continued to show events from Beijing as the complementary broadcaster.

“There is coverage of the Games on SBS while we’re at the football,” spokesman Simon Francis said in a statement to AAP.

Seven is effectively boxed into a commitment to broadcast AFL whether it wants to or not, although on the night of the Opening Ceremony, the AFL agreed to an earlier telecast.

There are 4 more AFL matches due on forthcoming Friday nights and Sunday afternoons during the Olympics, including on the final day of competition.

Source: AAP