As the AFL finals season kicks off, another battle is taking place behind closed doors. The AFL is in the final stages of negotiations for the right to show matches for five years from 2025. It’s a high-stakes contest that pits every free-to-air network and pay TV company Foxtel against each other.
The final deal will be worth hundreds of millions of dollars each year. It is the financial lifeblood of the AFL and the many people who rely on it. While the money being offered by the various rivals will be a decisive factor, the most contentious issue might be how many games will be aired free and how many put behind a paywall, and in what states.
Gillon McLachlan is in the process of securing a new TV rights deal for the AFL.Credit:Getty Images
The current rights, owned by Seven and Foxtel, run until the end of 2024 and are worth $946 million to the AFL over two years. Foxtel pays the…
