The best Television structure for a typical round of the AFL.

[Dan26]

Here's how I would structure the competition for TV if I had my way, with all times being EST. Games that start at 1:10 these days finish around 3:40-3:45, so on Sunday's I'd have a triple header, with two of the games on free-to-air, and one of the games on Foxtel. The 1:10pm game would always be free-to-air Australia wide, and the other two games, Channel 7 would have to choose which one they wanted to telecast:

If they chose the 3:45 game, the telecast would finish at 6:30, in time for their news and the Foxtel telcast would start at 6:30 (for a 6:40 start.) If 7 chose the 6:40 pm game, they would start their telecast at 6:30, obviously, and they could still have their news at 6:00pm, with the 3:45 game being on Foxtel.

I'd make it so the 3:45 game was always in Perth or Adelaide, because if you start it at 3:45 in Melbourne it is neither a day fixture nor a night fixture. In Perth the game would start at 1:45, and in Adelaide it would start at 3:15, which would work well in Adelaide particularly if all the 3:15 South Australian games were scheduled in the first 8 rounds (where there is more light) before winter hits.

A standard week:

Friday
A versus B.......... 7:40pm EST (Channel 7 live)

Saturday
C versus D.......... 2:10pm EST (Channel 10 live)
E versus F ..........2:10pm EST (Foxtel live)
G versus H ..........7:10pm EST (Channel 10 live)
J vesus K ............7:10pm EST (Foxtel live)

Sunday
L versus M ...........1:10pm EST (Channel 7 live)
N versus O ...........3:45pm EST (Either 7 or Foxtel) (WA or SA games only)
P versus Q ...........6:40pm EST (Either 7 or Foxtel)


Then, six times a year I'd have TWO Friday night games, one on Channel 7 and one form Perth, but the "second" game should only involve WA teams at home versus SA teams (or be a WA derby), and be live on Channel 7 in those states but on Foxtel everywhere else. Why involve a Victorian team travelling to Perth, when the first Friday night game (featuring two Victorian teams) will be live on Seven? That means a Victorian team would have to be on Foxtel in Victoria, which doesn't need to happen. So ONLY feature a WA team at home, versus an SA club (or a WA derby).

The 6 Friday nights would be as follows:

1.)West Coast vs Fremante
Vic team vs Vic team

2.)West Coast vs Port
Vic team vs Vic team

3.)West Coast vs Adelaide
Vic team vs Vic team

4.)Fremantle vs Port
Vic team vs Vic team

5.)Fremantle vs Adelaide
Vic team vs Vic team

6.)Fremantle vs West Coast
Vic team vs Vic team


For example:
FRIDAY
7:30: Channel 7 LIVE. Coll vs Rich (for example.) Match starts 7:40, finishes around 10:15

9:30: Foxtel. LIVE. Fremantle vs Adelaide (for example) Match starts 7:40 Perth time (9:40 East Coast) finishes around 10:15 (12:15am East Coast)

This would work well provided Channel 7 show the first game live. There would basically be no overlapping except for the last quarter of the first game and the first quarter of the second game.

It would also work well for Perth people, because they would get Fremantle vs Adelaide live on Channel 7 at 7:40 Perth time, and Coll vs Rich live on Foxtel at 5:40pm Perth time, instead of the usual Friday night game from Melbourne delayed by 3 hours like they get every week. Adelaide people would get Coll vs Rich live on Foxtel at 7:00pm, with Fremantle vs Adelaide live on Channel 7 at 9:00pm (9:10 start central time)

Under that basic structure there would only be two games on Saturday afternoon and two games on Saturday night going head-to-head, and on the six occasions where two Friday night games are scheduled (in which case, there would only be one Saturday afternoon game), there would be only the two Saturday night games going head to head. It gives maximum exposure to as many games as possible.

I'm not a fan of Channel Nine's current glorified "2 hours late" delayed highlights package at 4pm on Sundays. I'd rather see a genuine live game starting at 3:45 immediately after the 1:10 pm game, and watch that game until 6:30, and then have another live game at 6:40 which would be great for TV ratings and therefore great for the clubs. I know they are going with a 5pm fixture next year but I think my idea is better.

What does everyone think of this structure?

 

[Tredders66]

Sounds good. Hopefuly there will even be footy on fox next year.

 

[X_box_X]

Sounds fair to me.

 

[- PC -]

Only issue is having your showdown/derbies on a Friday night. Your starting times would not be agreed to by TV due to the way the commercials are block sold

Then if you brought the times back to suit tv your crowds and build up suffer due to people having to leave work early to get to the game

Otherwise I like the ideas presented

 

[Dan26]

Only issue is having your showdown/derbies on a Friday night. Your starting times would not be agreed to by TV due to the way the commercials are block sold

Then if you brought the times back to suit tv your crowds and build up suffer due to people having to leave work early to get to the game

Otherwise I like the ideas presented

There would never be a S.A showdown on a Friday night. Only Perth based games are part of the, "6 rounds with two Friday night games"

Whats wrong with Freo vs West Coast on a Friday night starting IN Perth at 7:40 live on free to air in Perth, while in Victoria we get it on Foxtel live at 9:40, which basically wouldn't clash with the other live Friday night game in Melbourne which would nearly be over?

There could be an SA showdown on a regular stand alone Friday night I suppose, but never as part of the "6 rounds with two Friday night games."

It is vitally important that on those 6 occasions it is ONLY a WA team AT HOME versus an SA side, (or a WA derby) and that game is live in WA and SA on free to air.

It's all about maximinsing the exposure of as many games as possible, without having games clashing, and telecasting those games into the markets that suit them.

 

[iluvparis]

Think we should take a look at some of the bigger leagues around the world (NFL, EPL etc).....

1 Friday Night Game (equivalent to Monday Night Football)
4 Saturday Day Games
1 Saturday Night Game
2 Sunday Day Games

 

[tomthetiger]

id have 3 Sat day games, and 3 Sunday day games. Too many people miss their team if they play on Sat night.

 

[Sir_Adrian84]

id have 3 Sat day games, and 3 Sunday day games. Too many people miss their team if they play on Sat night.

So

1 Friday
3 Sat Day
1 Sat Night
3 Sun Day

that could be ok

 

[tomthetiger]

Yep. Leave the Sunday schedule as it is, and have the 3rd Sat day game one of the Perth games in the Afternoon.

 

[swanniez1983]

and where do the V8s fit in all of that?

 

[tomthetiger]

They dont, and that's the beauty.

 

[swanniez1983]

lol....I somehow don't think C7 would have the same feelings

 

[browa02]

and where do the V8s fit in all of that?

who gives a crap about that pathetic sport?

 

[swanniez1983]

C7 do...and that's all that counts. They bit off more than they can chew.

 

[Ricardo]

Sunday games are traditionally lower drawing then Sat and Fri night....i'd have..

1 FN
3 Sat Day
2 Sat Night
2 Sunday

 

[Dan26]

I don't understand why the AFL want to have a 5pm fixture next year, when that effectively means there will be two other fixtures on Sunday before that going head-to-head.

Why not have a triple header?

I reckon I could make a legendary fixture, if given the time.

 

[Vader]

Bad news for Adelaide fans (like myself) who don't live in SA.

Assuming C7 treat us similar to C9, the late afternoon games get broadcast around 1AM on Monday morning. With all our Friday night games not being broadcast outside WA/SA (at least on FTA TV) I'd never get to see my team play a home game.

 

[Lady Lawrence]

If they chose the 3:45 game, the telecast would finish at 6:30, in time for their news ...............

Would never happen because the News Bulletin is at 6pm and the 6pm news is the benchmark for all ratings especially the Sunday 6pm one. I worked for Channel 7 for 4 years and can only remember about 2 ocassions where it got moved. Of all programme scheduling the 6pm news slot is almost untouchable.

 

[Mountain West]

Here's how I would structure the competition for TV if I had my way, with all times being EST. Games that start at 1:10 these days finish around 3:40-3:45, so on Sunday's I'd have a triple header, with two of the games on free-to-air, and one of the games on Foxtel. The 1:10pm game would always be free-to-air Australia wide, and the other two games, Channel 7 would have to choose which one they wanted to telecast:

If they chose the 3:45 game, the telecast would finish at 6:30, in time for their news and the Foxtel telcast would start at 6:30 (for a 6:40 start.) If 7 chose the 6:40 pm game, they would start their telecast at 6:30, obviously, and they could still have their news at 6:00pm, with the 3:45 game being on Foxtel.

I'd make it so the 3:45 game was always in Perth or Adelaide, because if you start it at 3:45 in Melbourne it is neither a day fixture nor a night fixture. In Perth the game would start at 1:45, and in Adelaide it would start at 3:15, which would work well in Adelaide particularly if all the 3:15 South Australian games were scheduled in the first 8 rounds (where there is more light) before winter hits.

A standard week:

Friday
A versus B.......... 7:40pm EST (Channel 7 live)

Saturday
C versus D.......... 2:10pm EST (Channel 10 live)
E versus F ..........2:10pm EST (Foxtel live)
G versus H ..........7:10pm EST (Channel 10 live)
J vesus K ............7:10pm EST (Foxtel live)

Sunday
L versus M ...........1:10pm EST (Channel 7 live)
N versus O ...........3:45pm EST (Either 7 or Foxtel) (WA or SA games only)
P versus Q ...........6:40pm EST (Either 7 or Foxtel)


Then, six times a year I'd have TWO Friday night games, one on Channel 7 and one form Perth, but the "second" game should only involve WA teams at home versus SA teams, and be live on Channel 7 in those states but on Foxtel everywhere else. Why involve a Victorian team travelling to Perth, when the first Friday night game (featuring at least one Victorian team) will be live on Seven? That means a Victorian team would have to be on Foxtel in Victoria, which doesn't need to happen. So ONLY feature a WA team at home, versus an SA club.

The 6 Friday nights would be as follows:

West Coast vs Fremante
Vic team vs Vic team

West Coast vs Port
Vic team vs Vic team

West Coast vs Adelaide
Vic team vs Vic team

Fremantle vs Port
Vic team vs Vic team

Fremantle vs Adelaide
Vic team vs Vic team

Fremantle vs West Coast
Vic team vs Vic team


For example:

7:30: Channel 7 LIVE. Coll vs Rich (for example.) Match starts 7:40, finishes around 10:15

9:30: Foxtel. LIVE. Fremantle vs Adelaide (for example) Match starts 7:40 Perth time (9:40 East Coast) finishes around 10:15 (12:15am East Coast)

This would work well provided Channel 7 show the first game live. There would basically be no overlapping except for the last quarter of the first game and the first quarter of the second game.

It would also work well for Perth people, because they would get Fremantle vs Adelaide live on Channel 7 at 7:40 Perth time, and Coll vs Rich live on Foxtel at 5:40pm Perth time, instead of the usual Friday night game from Melbourne delayed by 3 hours like they get every week. Adelaide people would get Coll vs Rich live on Foxtel at 7:00pm, with Fremantle vs Adelaide live on Channel 7 at 9:00pm (9:10 start central time)

Under that basic structure there would only be two games on Saturday afternoon and two games on Saturday night going head-to-head, and on the six occasions where two Friday night games are scheduled (in which case, there would only be one Saturday afternoon game), there would be only the two Saturday night games going head to head. It gives maximum exposure to as many games as possible.

I'm not a fan of Channel Nine's current glorified "2 hours late" delayed highlights package at 4pm on Sundays. I'd rather see a genuine live game starting at 3:45 immediately after the 1:10 pm game, and watch that game until 6:30, and then have another live game at 6:40 which would be great for TV ratings and therefore great for the clubs. I know they are going with a 5pm fixture next year but I think my idea is better.

What does everyone think of this structure?

I though Foxtel was kaput after this year.

 

[saintspremiers]

Would never happen because the News Bulletin is at 6pm and the 6pm news is the benchmark for all ratings especially the Sunday 6pm one. I worked for Channel 7 for 4 years and can only remember about 2 ocassions where it got moved. Of all programme scheduling the 6pm news slot is almost untouchable.

Ok, well how about instead of the 1.10pm starting time on Sunday we had a 12.40pm AEST starting time game, followed by a match starting at 3.15pm AEST?

If the 12.40 game was a little long you may miss the first 5 or so minutes of the 3.15 game, but the 3.15 game would have to run for 135 minutes for it to butt into the 6pm news on a Sunday night.....highly unlikely!

I think from memory channel 7 when they previously had the rights often ran a schedule like this.

I hate channel 9's 4pm 2 hour replay rubbish - you just see the goals of the first quarter then a hacked apart replay of about 80% of the rest of the match, interspersed with add breaks of about 3 minutes each.....totally losing the flow of the match your watching!

 

[Sir_Adrian84]

Ok, well how about instead of the 1.10pm starting time on Sunday we had a 12.40pm AEST starting time game, followed by a match starting at 3.15pm AEST?

If the 12.40 game was a little long you may miss the first 5 or so minutes of the 3.15 game, but the 3.15 game would have to run for 135 minutes for it to butt into the 6pm news on a Sunday night.....highly unlikely!

I think from memory channel 7 when they previously had the rights often ran a schedule like this.

I hate channel 9's 4pm 2 hour replay rubbish - you just see the goals of the first quarter then a hacked apart replay of about 80% of the rest of the match, interspersed with add breaks of about 3 minutes each.....totally losing the flow of the match your watching!

i agree

i reckon 2 games on a sunday both on free to air, one at 12:40 from the East Coast and one at 3:20pm from Adelaide or Perth.

5 saturday games could occur, with two matches being shown on Foxtel at the same time in either the afternoon or the night

or having two saturday night matches on ten (so 3 matches a week on Ten) with one live at 7:40pm and a second replayed at 10:10pm.

 

[Sir_Adrian84]

Sunday games are traditionally lower drawing then Sat and Fri night....i'd have..

1 FN
3 Sat Day
2 Sat Night
2 Sunday

that would be my ideal structure

 

[Dan26]

Would never happen because the News Bulletin is at 6pm and the 6pm news is the benchmark for all ratings especially the Sunday 6pm one. I worked for Channel 7 for 4 years and can only remember about 2 ocassions where it got moved. Of all programme scheduling the 6pm news slot is almost untouchable.

Back when Channel 7 covered football in the 90's they regularly had double headers with the second game live form Perth or Adelaide, and the news was pushed back.

The 3:45 game would be a better ratings game than the 1:10 pm game and would be a good lead in to the 6:30 news. Channel 7 did this previously when they were covering the AFL.

6:30 for Sunday news is more than acceptable. 6pm is not at all untouchable. On a weeknight, maybe it is untouchable - but not on a Sunday night. If anything it would rate better with the footy lead in.

 

[Sir_Adrian84]

Back when Channel 7 covered football in the 90's they regularly had double headers with the second game live form Perth or Adelaide, and the news was pushed back.

The 3:45 game would be a better ratings game than the 1:10 pm game and would be a good lead in to the 6:30 news. Channel 7 did this previously when they were covering the AFL.

6:30 for Sunday news is more than acceptable. 6pm is not at all untouchable. On a weeknight, maybe it is untouchable - but not on a Sunday night. If anything it would rate better with the footy lead in.

it used to be at 5 for the adelaide matches

 

[Dan26]

Well, there you go, the news was changed back then to accomodate the AFL.

On a weekend, it is more than acceptable to change the news time.

6:30 is hardly an earth shattering change anyway.