After months of speculation, the AFL broadcast rights deal has gone to incumbent holders, Seven and Foxtel. It is the third broadcast rights deal that AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan has overseen, and will be his last as he steps down at the end of the season.
The deal will last until the end of the 2031 season, and is worth $4.5 billion – the biggest broadcast deal in Australian history. The current contract is set to expire at the end of the 2024 season.
The confirmation comes despite a last minute bid from Nine Entertainment Co worth roughly $500 million a year. The bid was the last in a line of attempts by Nine and Paramount to throw their hat into the ring for the rights.
Speaking at a press conference, AFL Chairman Richard Goyder said: “This deal is about working hand in hand to invest in the growth of our game at every level, not just the best way to service the audience we have. It’s an announcement that balances the best possible outcomes for our viewership and reflects the ongoing trend where fans are deciding how they watch footy.”
Richard Goyder and Kerry Stokes
Speaking after Goyder, McLachlan announced the details of the deal.
Details of the deal include:
• Games will be broadcast live and free nationally on the Seven Network and 7Plus on Thursday nights, Friday nights, selected Saturday nights, Sunday afternoons.
• Seven will also have marquee matches, the Brownlow medal, all AFL finals, and the AFL grand final.
• All marquee matches will be live and free on Seven – Dreamtime, Anzac eve, Anzac Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, and Queen’s Birthday, plus at least three additional marquee matches such as the season opener.
• Foxtel and Kayo will broadcast every single AFL / AFLW home and away match, every AFL / AFLW final (excluding the grand final) and all pre-season matches with their own Fox commentary teams.
• Foxtel and Kayo will also broadcast all AFL events including the AFL draft and awards nights, excluding the Brownlow.
• Foxtel and Kayo will have a Super Saturday in the first eight rounds of each AFL season, broadcasting exclusively live all games in all time slots, with the exception of Anzac eve, Anzac Day, and Dreamtime if they were to fall on a Saturday.
• Outside Victoria, matches involving the local team will be broadcast live in the local market on the Seven Network and 7Plus digital, except for selected matches on holdbacks.
• At least 30 AFLW home and away games, AFLW finals, and the AFLW grand final will be live and free on the Seven Network and 7Plus digital.
Gillon McLachlan
The AFL broadcast rights contract is one of the most lucrative deals in media, with games frequently the top non-news show on match days for free to air, and top overall for Foxtel.
In 2021, the AFL grand final between the Melbourne Demons and the Western Bulldogs was the most-watched free-to-air program of the year, with 3.91 million viewers nationally and 3.01 million in the capital cities tuning in. A further 197,000 watched on 7Plus.
See Also: Demons collect the trophy: AFL Grand Final 2021 biggest TV show of the year
Speculation over the deal has been rife, with communications minister Michelle Rowland getting involved last month.
In a rare move for the federal government, Rowland said in a statement that: “Free-to-air television is universally available and accessible, and it is an important source of information, education and entertainment for all Australians, regardless of their means or location.
“I encourage the AFL Commission and its broadcast and streaming partners to ensure there is no diminution in the availability of AFL matches on free-to-air television under the new deal.”
See Also: Michelle Rowland urges AFL to keep matches on free-to-air ahead of rights deal