The AFL could yield as much as $2 billion over six years from of all its broadcast partners.
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Under the AFL’s new rights deal, the grand final will probably remain a day game despite a long-running push from broadcasters for it to be played at night.
The deal smashes all previous records for broadcast rights, but maintains the status quo in terms of where matches are broadcast, with Fox Footy to continue to show every match live, and Seven showing the equivalent of three and a half matches per week.
Nine, which bought the Nine stations in Perth and Adelaide two years ago as part of a deal under which it paid $450 million over five years for cricket rights, could be in the market for rights to live AFL matches featuring the teams from those two cities.
Murdoch has been in Australia for more than a week, during which talks with the AFL accelerated after the NRL moved on Monday last week to sign a 5 million free-to-air deal with Nine Entertainment Co.
With the NRL’s current $1.025 billion deal with Nine and Fox Sports not due to expire until the end of the 2017 season, it will be up to NRL chief executive Dave Smith and his team of negotiators to hold their nerve.
News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson also sent a warning to the NRL by declaring the company would do everything it could to help AFL’s expansion into league’s heartland. – Rupert Murdoch, executive chairman of News Corporation and 21 Century Fox.
McLachlan and the AFL stepped up negotiations last week after the National Rugby League surprised many when it announced a deal for its free-to-air broadcast rights in what was seen as a snub to Foxtel. Foxtel has made high definition coverage available to subscribers for a number of seasons and now the Seven Network has joined the party. “We’ve got the option to do that and we will do what is in the best interest of the AFL and News Corporation”.
The new agreement comes a week after the NRL confirmed a new four-year agreement with the Nine Network.
While accepting the AFL had the right to make the final call, Seven chairman Kerry Stokes said he’d given his “suggestions” to the AFL.
The new agreement builds on Seven’s current agreement with the AFL for the 2012-2016 football seasons. “We will continue to bring world class digital experiences to our supporters and members wherever they are consuming AFL content”.
“We’ve always preferred Aussie rules and we’ve always believed this is the premium code in Australia”, he said.
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Tim Worner, CEO of Seven West Media, added: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with the Australian Football League”.
