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Talking Footy, Game Day on “temporary hiatus” at Seven.

Seven blames COVID-19 as it halts 2 of its 3 AFL panel shows.

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Seven has “temporarily suspended” two of its three AFL shows, Talking Footy and AFL Game Day, citing the impact of COVID-19.

Managing Director Seven Melbourne and Head of Network Sport Lewis Martin said, “As a consequence of COVID-19 we have seen tough and difficult decisions being made right across sport and we at Seven are no different. Talking Footy and Game Day have set the agenda in AFL circles for so many years and we hope with favourable conditions returning this will be a temporary hiatus for both.”

Talking Footy has been running since 1994, first hosted by Bruce McAvaney and more recently by Luke Darcy. The current panel also includes Wayne Carey and Brian Taylor.

Game Day has been running for 11 years, hosted by Hamish McLachlan.

The Front Bar with Mick Molloy, Sam Pang and Andy Maher continues, back on air tomorrow night. They are joined by Andy Lee, Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald, plus Dale Thomas and AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan.

Crowd audio effects will be incorporated into Seven’s AFL broadcast from Thursday June 11, with commentary by Bruce McAvaney and Brian Taylor, while Seven is also trialing world-first virtual technology and working to integrate fans at home into the broadcast. The #WeAreWatching campaign will encourage fans to send in images of themselves at home.

Lewis Martin said, “The game will always be at the heart of our AFL coverage. But we’ve spent the past few weeks exploring ways we can enhance the viewer experience from both an audio and visual perspective. The innovations we’re introducing are exciting but will always be kept firmly in the background.”

Over the next four rounds, Seven’s commentary team will again include fan favourite callers James Brayshaw, Hamish McLachlan and Luke Darcy, while expert commentary will be provided by Luke Hodge, Daisy Pearce, Wayne Carey, Jobe Watson, Leigh Matthews, Matthew Richardson, Tim Watson, Cameron Ling and Jimmy Bartel. Abbey Holmes, Jude Bolton and Mark Soderstrom round out football’s best team.

On Friday nights, Telstra’s Friday Night Countdown will capture all the excitement leading into the big match, while post-game Adam Cooney and Cam Luke will again settle in on the Armchair Experts sofa, offering viewers their unique take on the action.

The Front Bar
Thursday June 4
Melbourne 8.45pm Live on Channel 7
Sydney 11.25pm on Channel 7
Brisbane 11.25pm on Channel 7
Adelaide 8.45pm on Channel 7
Perth 8.45pm on Channel 7

Wednesday June 10
Melbourne 9.00pm Live on Channel 7
Sydney 9.00pm Live on Channel 7
Brisbane 9.00pm Live on Channel 7
Adelaide 9.00pm on Channel 7
Perth 9.00pm on Channel 7

Wednesday June 17
Melbourne 9.15pm Live on Channel 7
Sydney 9.15pm Live on Channel 7
Brisbane 9.15pm Live on Channel 7
Adelaide 9.15pm on Channel 7
Perth 9.15pm on Channel 7

Wednesday June 24
Melbourne 9.15pm Live on Channel 7
Sydney 9.15pm Live on Channel 7
Brisbane 9.15pm Live on Channel 7
Adelaide 9.15pm on Channel 7
Perth 9.15pm on Channel 7

AFL – Season 2020

ROUND TWO
Thursday June 11
Collingwood v Richmond, MCG
Sydney 7.00pm Live on 7mate
Melbourne 7.00pm Live on Channel 7
Brisbane 7.00pm Live on 7mate
Adelaide 6.30pm Live on 7mate; 7.00pm Live on Channel 7
Perth 5.00pm Live on 7mate

Friday June 12
Geelong v Hawthorn, GMHBA Stadium
Sydney 7.00pm Live on 7mate
Melbourne 7.00pm Live on 7mate, 7.30pm Live on Channel 7
Brisbane 7.00pm Live on 7mate
Adelaide 6.30pm Live on 7mate, 7.00pm Live on Channel 7
Perth 5.00pm Live on 7mate

Armchair Experts
Sydney 10.45pm on 7mate
Melbourne 10.45pm on Channel 7
Brisbane 10.45pm on 7mate
Adelaide 10.15pm on Channel 7
Perth 11.00pm on 7mate

Saturday June 13
Brisbane Lions v Fremantle, Gabba
Brisbane 1.30pm Live on 7mate
Perth 11.30am Live on Channel 7

Port Adelaide v Adelaide, Adelaide Oval
Sydney 7.00pm Live on 7mate
Melbourne 7.00pm Live on Channel 7
Adelaide 6.30pm Live on Channel 7

Gold Coast v West Coast, Metricon Stadium
Brisbane 7.30pm Live on 7mate
Perth 5.30pm Live on 7mate

Sunday June 14
GWS Giants v North Melbourne, Giants Stadium
Sydney 1.00pm Live on 7mate

Sydney Swans v Essendon, SCG
Sydney 3.30pm Live on 7mate
Melbourne 3.00pm Live on Channel 7
Brisbane 3.00pm Live on 7mate
Adelaide 2.30pm Live on Channel 7
Perth 1.00pm Live on Channel 7

ROUND THREE
Thursday June 18
Richmond v Hawthorn, MCG
Sydney 7.30pm Live on 7mate
Melbourne 7.30pm Live on Channel 7
Brisbane 7.30pm Live on 7mate
Adelaide 7.00pm Live on Channel 7
Perth 5.30pm Live on 7mate

Friday June 19
Western Bulldogs v GWS Giants, Marvel Stadium
Sydney 7.00pm Live on 7mate
Melbourne 7.00pm Live on 7mate, 7.30pm Live on Channel 7
Brisbane 7.00pm Live on 7mate
Adelaide 6.30pm Live on 7mate, 7.00pm Live on Channel 7
Perth 5.00pm Live on 7mate

Armchair Experts
Sydney 10.45pm on 7mate
Melbourne 10.45pm on Channel 7
Brisbane 10.45pm on 7mate
Adelaide 10.15pm on Channel 7
Perth 11.00pm on 7mate

Saturday June 20
North Melbourne v Sydney Swans, Marvel Stadium
Sydney 1.30pm Live on Channel 7

Brisbane Lions v West Coast, Gabba
Sydney 7.00pm Live on 7mate
Melbourne 7.00pm Live on Channel 7
Brisbane 7.00pm Live on 7mate
Adelaide 6.30pm Live on 7mate; 7.00pm Live on Channel 7
Perth 5.00pm Live on 7mate

Sunday June 21
Gold Coast v Adelaide, Metricon Stadium
Brisbane 1.00pm Live on Channel 7
Adelaide 12.30pm Live on Channel 7

Essendon v Melbourne, MCG
Sydney 3.00pm Live on 7mate
Melbourne 3.00pm Live on Channel 7

Fremantle v Port Adelaide, Metricon Stadium
Adelaide 5.30pm Live on Channel 7
Perth 4.00pm Live on 7mate

ROUND FOUR
Thursday June 25
Sydney Swans v Western Bulldogs, SCG
Sydney 7.30pm Live on 7mate
Melbourne 7.30pm Live on Channel 7
Brisbane 7.30pm Live on 7mate
Adelaide 7.00pm Live on Channel 7
Perth 5.30pm Live on 7mate

Friday June 26
GWS Giants v Collingwood, Giants Stadium
Sydney 7.00pm Live on 7mate
Melbourne 7.00pm Live on 7mate, 7.30pm Live on Channel 7
Brisbane 7.00pm Live on 7mate
Adelaide 6.30pm Live on 7mate, 7.00pm Live on Channel 7
Perth 5.00pm Live on 7mate

Armchair Experts
Sydney 10.45pm on 7mate
Melbourne 10.45pm on Channel 7
Brisbane 10.45pm on 7mate
Adelaide 10.15pm on Channel 7
Perth 11.00pm on 7mate

Saturday June 27
Port Adelaide v West Coast, Metricon Stadium
Adelaide 1.00pm Live on Channel 7
Perth 11.30am Live on Channel 7

Essendon v Carlton, MCG
Sydney 7.00pm Live on 7mate
Melbourne 7.00pm Live on Channel 7
Adelaide 6.30pm Live on 7mate; 7.00pm Live on Channel 7

Gold Coast v Fremantle, Metricon Stadium
Brisbane 7.30pm Live on 7mate
Perth 5.30pm Live on 7mate

Sunday June 28
Brisbane Lions v Adelaide, Gabba
Brisbane 1.00pm Live on Channel 7
Adelaide 12.30pm Live on Channel 7

Melbourne v Geelong, MCG
Sydney 3.00pm Live on 7mate
Melbourne 3.00pm Live on Channel 7
Perth 1.00pm Live on Channel 7

ROUND FIVE
Thursday July 2
West Coast v Richmond, Metricon Stadium
Sydney 7.30pm Live on 7mate
Melbourne 7.30pm Live on Channel 7
Brisbane 7.30pm Live on 7mate
Adelaide 7.00pm Live on Channel 7
Perth 5.30pm Live on 7mate

Friday July 3
Collingwood v Essendon, MCG
Sydney 7.00pm Live on 7mate
Melbourne 7.00pm Live on 7mate, 7.30pm Live on Channel 7
Brisbane 7.00pm Live on 7mate
Adelaide 6.30pm Live on 7mate, 7.00pm Live on Channel 7
Perth 5.00pm Live on 7mate

Armchair Experts
Sydney 10.45pm on 7mate
Melbourne 10.45pm on Channel 7
Brisbane 10.45pm on 7mate
Adelaide 10.15pm on Channel 7
Perth 11.00pm on 7mate

Saturday July 4
Geelong v Gold Coast, GMHBA Stadium
Brisbane 4.30pm Live on 7mate

Western Bulldogs v North Melbourne, Marvel Stadium
Sydney 7.00pm Live on 7mate
Melbourne 7.00pm Live on Channel 7
Perth 5.00pm Live on 7mate

Brisbane v Port Adelaide, Gabba
Brisbane 7.30pm Live on 7mate
Adelaide 7.00pm Live on Channel 7

Sunday July 5
Adelaide v Fremantle, Metricon Stadium
Adelaide 12.30pm Live on Channel 7
Perth 11.00am Live on Channel 7

Sydney Swans v Melbourne, SCG
Sydney 3.00pm Live on 7mate
Melbourne 3.00pm Live on Channel 7
Brisbane 3.00pm Live on 7mate

GWS Giants v Hawthorn, Giants Stadium
Sydney 6.00pm Live on 7mate

16 Responses

  4. I watch a fair few of of football shows on Channel 9 and Fox Footy but have never found in recent years that the Channel 7 shows “set the agenda”.

  6. 7 are Sydney centric, they have Lost me I will be watching Foxtel only for my football dose. We hardly watch (apart from the Melb. 4 pm news) on channel 7 as I said most of their shows are from Sydney.

  8. I can kinda understand Talking Footy given it’s just a multichannel show and it’s future was up in the air before the season but Game Day? I thought it was pretty popular and they’re essentially just handing audience to the Sunday Footy Show.

  10. Just wow. Seven really are just getting more and more pathetic! Nine continues to broadcast Footy Classified twice a week and the Sunday Footy Show. For me both are far superior to Talking Footy and Game Day so it’s no big loss. But it’s just laughable that the host network for AFL will be dropping 2 of their flagship footy talk shows right when there is so much to discuss/dissect/dive into.

    1. Seems their not really interested and dumping low rating chat is easiest for them to do, interesting that their prime time Front Bar is back, they are only really interested in prime time offerings seemingly, even though the AFL would you’d expect some other promotion of the game through these analysis shows.

      1. The only hope would be they may return in 2021 along with the crowds?

        Moving Talking Footy to 7Mate with a very late replay on the main channel (often around midnight) probably hadn’t done it any favours in terms of return for the cost of making it.

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