DETAILS OF THE AFL’S NEW BROADCAST RIGHTS DEAL

* $4.5 billion over seven years, from 2025 until 2031 with current partners Seven West and Foxtel, the richest in Australian sports history

* Telstra also continues as the digital partner

* AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan says the new deal will have at least the same number of free to air games, but Foxtel will have exclusive rights for Saturday games for the first eight rounds

* There will be a shift in free to air games from Saturdays to Thursdays

* McLachlan says the AFL will retain control of the fixture, including when the grand final is played

* Securing the TV rights deal means McLachlan can move onto other key projects he wants finalised before he leaves the AFL – whether a Tasmanian team joins the league, funding for clubs and a new players’ deal

* Thursday nights, Friday nights, selected Saturday nights, Sunday afternoons, marquee matches, the Brownlow Medal, all AFL Finals and the AFL Grand Final all broadcast free to air

* The first 15 rounds of the AFL season to feature Thursday night matches free to air

* Foxtel to have exclusive rights to Saturday games, except marquee fixtures, until the last eight rounds of the season, when Saturday night matches will be free to air

* Foxtel/Kayo will own Saturday in the first eight rounds of the AFL season, with the exception of marquee games such as Anzac Day

* Outside Victoria, the match involving the local team will be broadcast live into the local market on the Seven Network and 7+ 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 7+ digital with local market substitution rules

* All AFLW matches and events will also be broadcast on Foxtel and Kayo.

Roger Vaughan
(Australian Associated Press)