SportBusiness.com

DEAL DONE ON AFL BROADCAST RIGHTS

The Australian Football League announced a deal with the Seven and Ten broadcast networks and with pay-operator Foxtel for the TV rights for Aussie Rules after long-drawn out negotiations - just in time for the first pre-season match of 2007.

Under the five-deal for the 2007-11 seasons, Seven and Ten will broadcast four games per round - including one Friday night and Sunday afternoon game for Seven, and one Saturday afternoon and night game for Ten - as well as exclusive live coverage of the finals series and the grand final.

Pay TV groups Foxtel and Austar will broadcast four games per round including one Saturday afternoon and night game and one Sunday afternoon game and the new evening game via the Fox Sports channel.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said, "we are in the privileged position that our free to air and pay television partners will now take our games to more people than ever before in our history, with fans across Australia enjoying more live coverage than ever before".

"In partnership, we will all work to build AFL football as a spectator sport and as a television sport to build crowds, to build participation and to build audiences."