As part of the new agreement, supporters in Western Australia are guaranteed of being able to see all of Fremantle’s matches on free to air television.
The Seven Network will broadcast four matches of each nine-match round during the Toyota AFL Premiership Season on free to air television, as well as all finals matches.
On free to air television, Friday night football will be telecast live into Victoria, Qld, NSW, the ACT and Tasmania, near live into SA and on a reduced delay, due to time zone difference, into WA. Showpiece matches on both Friday night and Saturday night would now be shown live or near live across most regions of Australia.
Foxtel will broadcast every match of every week through the premiership season live, as well as all finals matches through the Toyota AFL Finals Series, with the exception only of the Toyota AFL Grand Final. Every match of every week of the Toyota AFL Premiership season and all finals up to the Toyota AFL Grand Final will be broadcast live in every state.
Foxtel will also re-establish a dedicated AFL Channel. Telstra will broadcast every match of every week through the premiership season, as well as all matches through the Toyota AFL Finals Series, live on its mobile platform.
Fremantle Dockers’ chief executive officer Steve Rosich said the club was pleased with the new agreement.
“The agreement clearly recognises the strength of both the AFL brand and the AFL club brands, including the Fremantle Dockers,” he said.
“We are pleased, and I am sure all WA football followers will be pleased, that current access to the two WA-based clubs’ matches on free to air TV has been maintained under the new broadcast rights agreement.”
AFL Commission Chairman Mike Fitzpatrick said the AFL was delighted to reach agreement with the Seven Network, Foxtel and Telstra after a long negotiation period, and the Commission now looked forward to the next step in the game's expansion with the support of outstanding broadcast partners.
Fitzpatrick said the need to provide an improved TV outcome for all football supporters across the country was a guiding principle throughout the negotiations.
“This is a landmark agreement that will take the game to more people than ever before, in ways never seen before. It is a great deal for football and a great deal for football supporters who remain the heart and soul of our game,” he said.
