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Report: AFL to trial Sunday night games

The AFL will trial up to three Sunday night matches in 2014, according to media reports.

2013-10-29_0046The AFL will trial up to three Sunday night matches in 2014, which would serve as big ratings drawcards for Seven.

Fairfax Media reports at least two and potentially three of Seven’s 3.20pm Sunday games will be moved next season to 7.40pm.

Neither Seven’s Melbourne boss Lewis Martin nor AFL executive Simon Lethlean would comment on the new football timeslot, which will be unveiled on Thursday.

AFL clubs were warned in a recent meeting of the 18 chief executives to expect some experimental fixturing in 2014.

Last week Seven announced it would bringing forward its pre-game coverage of Friday night football from 7.30 to 7pm, right around the country.

17 Responses

  1. “In stunning SD too I guess.”

    Too true. Appalling that Nine gives the NRL in HD in Melbourne on Gem and Seven gives AFL HD in Sydney on Mate.

    What a joke.

  2. @Dr Rudi I’m in Tassie, we get what Vic gets. I meant that 7 are the host broadcaster for those four games, and in other regions they quite often have Fox covered matches (eg Port and Adel games in SA).
    When the three Sun night games are fixtured (reportedly June 1, June 29, and one tba) there is no game starting at 3.20pm. This 7.40 game replaces it.

  3. @glennc – I stand corrected re the Saturday night game – and the fact that we have 9 games each round (8 was in my head).

    However, your other points are very much a function of where one lives. I’m in Adelaide so we get both teams’ games every round – on 7, but often simply a relay of the Fox coverage. The only time we see game 9 (Sunday twilight) is if one of the local teams is involved.

    @Guy – I’d want to see what is actually written in the contract. I’m sure they’ll come to an accommodation, my point is they will need to.

  4. I’m surprised FoxFooty don’t test the waters by requesting a second Friday game to facilitate a ‘double header’ concept similar to NRL but at least Live (that WC or Freo could own on alternate weeks; to a lesser extent the odd Adel or PA game could go there too).

    They’d have to do it near public holidays (QB and the WA Day in successive weeks) and there’s probably scope next year for Easter Sun night.

    There’s a Bank Holiday I think in NSW the first Mon in August.

    What about a night game in Tassie on QB Eve?

  5. There’s 2 or 3 of them for the season. One is believed to be Sunday June 1 from Perth (long weekend there).
    I’m guessing 7 would just alter their schedules around it, much like they do with X Factor, Home and Away, BH&G etc in the relevant states now!

  6. @Dr Rudi
    7 show game 1 (Fri night), game 2 (1.45pm Sat), either game 5 or 6 (one of the Sat night games), and game 8 (Sun 3.20pm). They’d merely be not showing a game on the Sun arvo and instead show it Sun night.

  7. Seven said at its 2014 upfronts last week that it would show more night matches “above and beyond” the current AFL broadcast deal, and it seemed to refer to these Sunday night matches. Seven could show two of them during the Easter non-ratings period in April as it will be school holidays in most states. And they could air on 7mate nationally, so it won’t disrupt Seven’s primetime line-up which is expected to include Downton Abbey, Bones and Castle.

  8. @Dr Rudi

    It says that the 3:20pm game will be moved so game 7 will be shown later. No difference for the broadcast rights because it’s a transfer of a game to a different timeslot

  9. Interesting. Seven would (typically) not cover game 8; they cover game 7 – so I don’t know how they adjust the broadcast rights contract to cover that.

    And, even with a live broadcast, a 7:30 telecast start means a 10:30 finish on a school night. Not a preferred option I would think.

    And, they’d need to pick their matches I think. Melbourne versus Greater Western Syndey won’t draw people to their television sets.

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