The regulation ‘promotes free access’, but it does not guarantee a listed event is screened, meaning some matches are only available behind a paywall
The Australian rules community survives on habit. More than a century old, the VFL and now AFL counts more than 1.3m club members, and hundreds of thousands fans prove their commitment each week by attending matches. Millions more watch on television, and increasingly on smart TVs, computers and phones. But in 2025, they have an adjustment to make.
The new seven-year, $4.5bn broadcast deal struck between the AFL, Channel Seven and Foxtel is about to kick in. The broadcasters are promising hours of new shows each week, hosted by big names and emerging talents. Seven has pledged new footy content every day, leveraging their new streaming rights which give fans access to Seven’s matches via 7plus. No-one doubts there will be more content than any one fan could ever need. There is just one catch.
