The partnership between Seven, Foxtel and the sporting code has officially extended through to 2031.
Seven and Foxtel have today confirmed that they have jointly secured the AFL media rights from 2025 to 2031.
The total agreement covers seven seasons from Season 2025 – until the end of the 2031 season and will deliver footy a financial return of $4.5 billion in cash and contra.
Broadcast live and free nationally on free-to-air via Channel 7 and the 7plus streaming platform will be AFL on Thursday nights, Friday nights, selected Saturday nights, one Sunday afternoon game per round, Marquee matches, the Brownlow Medal, all AFL Finals and the AFL Grand Final.
The first 15 rounds of the AFL Premiership Season will feature Thursday night matches on the Seven Network and for the first time on the 7plus streaming platform.
The Seven Network will still broadcast Saturday night matches in the last eight rounds of the home and away season.
All marquee matches will be live and free (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 and Queen’s Birthday Eve.
Broadcast live on Foxtel and Kayo will be every single AFL /AFLW home and away match, every Toyota AFL / NAB AFLW final (excluding the Toyota AFL Grand Final), all pre-season matches – and all with their own Fox Footy commentary teams.
Foxtel / Kayo will own Saturday in the first eight rounds of each AFL season, broadcasting exclusively live all games in all timeslots, which the exception of Anzac Eve, Anzac Day and Dreamtime if they were to fall on a Saturday.
Foxtel / Kayo will also broadcast all AFL events including the AFL draft and Awards nights (excluding the Brownlow).
The AFL continues to have full control of the production of the fixture, including the scheduling time of the AFL Grand Final.
Outside Victoria, the match involving the local team will be broadcast live into the local market on the Seven Network and 7plus streaming (except for some selected matches which will be broadcast on delay). All Free to Air games mirrored and available on 7plus streaming in all local markets.
At least 30 NAB AFLW home and away games, NAB AFLW finals and the NAB AFLW grand final will be live and free on the Seven Network and 7plusl with local market substitution rules. ALL NAB AFLW matches and events will also be broadcast on Foxtel and Kayo.
Through this new deal Telstra will be building on their investment into Marvel Stadium and extending into innovation and our digital offerings through the AFL / AFLW apps and all 18 clubs’ websites.
Seven will also retain the rights to the Brownlow Medal and the AFL Grand Final.
Foxtel will host a new Super Saturday on Fox Footy, which will see them exclusively host every match of the opening eight rounds.
From 2025, Fox Sports’ popular commentary and award-winning production will be available on all games including alternate commentary feeds, renowned graphic innovations and expanded digital highlights.
Seven West Media (SWM)’s 7plus will deliver a comprehensive package of digital rights secured with this renewal.
The 7plus AFL hub will include live and replay matches as well as catch-up rights and highlights packages on video on demand, available live and free on any device, at any time. Seven will also continue to broadcast AFL games on Channel 7 and 7mate.
SWM Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, James Warburton, said:
“We are delighted to extend our partnership with the AFL until 2031. Securing a comprehensive package of digital rights to the AFL for 7plus was our absolute focus. For the first time, fans will be able to access the best AFL games and video content, live and free, in a way that suits them.
“More importantly, this new combination of broadcast and digital means SWM will be ideally positioned to drive and capture a significant share of the growing total television market.
“Together, the AFL and Seven have made the code the #1 winter sport across the country and we look forward to working with the AFL Commission to extend the sport’s leadership.”
Seven will pay a 14% increase on the 2024 rights in 2025; with indexation over the term this represents a 3.6% compound annual growth rate in rights fees across the period.
Foxtel’s rights extension with the AFL through to 2031 is historic for its more than 4.5 million subscribers, which sees Foxtel and Kayo Sports retain their place as the home of Australia’s most popular sports.
Extending a partnership that spans more than two decades, Fox Sports and Kayo will continue to show all games live and ad-break free during play including pre-season, premiership season and final series (excluding the AFL Grand Final, there is no change to 2023 and 2024 rights as part of current agreement) from 2025.
The 2022 AFL season has seen record-breaking viewership, supercharged by Australia’s sports streaming service, Kayo, with its 1.3 million subscribers and more than 50 sports at an affordable price for every Australian. The streaming generation accounts for 47% of live AFL viewing, and they will continue to enjoy wide-ranging coverage of every club, every star, and every moment on and off the field.
Foxtel Group Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Delany said:
“With the rights for the next nine years, today marks a new era in our 20-year-long relationship with the AFL as a partner of choice.
“This extension is great news for sports fans that love Foxtel and Kayo Sports but also the AFL that relies on funding from the Foxtel Group to not only prosper at the elite level but also filter down to support their strong grass roots and community programs. It’s a game for all Australians.
“We deliver a fan experience like no other, with no ads siren to siren at a price that all Australians can enjoy. Together with 4K on Foxtel and the endless innovation and multi-sport environment on Kayo Sports, these experiences will continue to propel the growth of the game over the next decade.
“Through our incredible team at Fox Sports, we have no hesitation in investing in the biggest and best production capability in Australia. We will continue to bring the highest-quality analysis, shows and entertainment as well as innovation in production to record breaking audiences and in turn providing unprecedented growth to the AFL.”
Foxtel Group Chairman, Siobhan McKenna said:
“I would like to thank the AFL family, including the Commission, executive team, clubs, players and all those who have invested their faith in us over the next 9 years to partner in growing and celebrating AFL.”
AFL Chief Executive Officer, Gillon McLachlan said:
“Footy is the best game in the world. We have the best partners, the best athletes, the best supporters. We saw it on the weekend what it means to people, the connection, the belonging, the passion and this is an historic day for football – not just at AFL level but for football at every level.
“Our broadcast partnership underpins our game and takes it to the millions of fans who love our sport.
“On behalf of the AFL, we are proud to continue our partnership with Foxtel and Kayo as we take footy into the future.”
Good for 7/Fox, but not very good for fans. Channel 7 had the AFL since 2007 (in conjunction with 10 and News Corp). While it’s good for 7 to have the AFL, they haven’t done anything to change its coverage – instad their coverage has gone dated back to the 2nd half of the 20th century. But in 2011, the AFL announced a whopping $1.25 billion rights deal for Seven/Fox (This was the end of the line for Ten’s AFL Coverage. That year, Lachie Murdoch and the board joined Channel 10 and he did mammoth damage to the network – axing ONE HD as sports channel, cutting TV programs, axing TV presenters and staff members.) After TEN exited the AFL in late 2011, ratings went down the toilet. Seven’s AFL coverage couldn’t get any better and their coverage has deteriortated. The commentary was without a doubt, dreadful. BT and JB were insufferable for moer than 10 years now and they simply ramble on with their own self-indulgence talk. Fans have had enough of the two blokes in the commetnary. Nevertheless, we can watch the coverage by streaming the games on the 7+ app, however we will have to put up with more of the same commentary for years to come.
7 needs to bring it’s complimentary programs to accommodate it’s coverage like Talking Footy. I would like to see 7 bring back World of Sport which was a melbourne based production in way to compliment it’s coverage of AFL. A 3 and half hour sports show with AFL and footy panel like it used to be would be an ideal lead in for it’s sunday afternoon broadcasts. Foxtel should get permission to have their commentary teams on from next season on all games instead of having to wait 2 years.