Channel 7 to reap an extra $2m from longer ad breaks during Thursday and Friday night game
THE AFL’s decision to extend quarter-time and three-quarter-time breaks on Friday nights by 30 seconds each has given an estimated $2 million free kick to Channel 7.
The league announced by email just hours before the first match of this season that, after “a request from broadcast partner the Seven Network”, quarter-time and three-quarter time had been wound out from six minutes to six minutes and 30 seconds.
The change to the AFL’s official regulations applied to the Thursday night Round 1 Richmond-Carlton game and is expected to apply to the four remaining Thursday night matches this season.
Twenty-five Friday night matches are to be played this year — meaning a total of 30 minutes of extra advertising time available to Channel 7.
Respected television analyst Steve Allen of Fusion Strategy told the
Herald Sun those extra minutes equated to about $2m in extra advertising income.
Fox Footy — which is owned by News Corp Australia, the publisher of the
Herald Sun — is also a beneficiary of the extra advertising time, as are the commercial radio stations which cover the matches.
During last Friday night’s Hawthorn-Adelaide game, Seven’s quarter-time commercial break lasted for about four minutes and 30 seconds and included two Seven promos and eight separate advertisements.
The three-quarter time commercial break ran along similar lines.
Extended breaks are not being considered for other timeslots this season.
It is understood Channel 7’s request for more advertising time was made after the record $2.5 billion broadcast rights deal was struck last year and was not part of negotiations.
That deal comes into effect from next season.
Channel 7 wouldn’t comment on the new arrangements or the $2m figure on Tuesday.
An AFL spokesman said: “The AFL is in consultation with its broadcast partners regarding a thirty second extension to quarter and three-quarter time break periods for Thursday Night matches in season 2016”.
“This is an extension to the previously advised trial of longer break periods for Friday night matches this season.”
Seven is thought to be comfortable that its presentation of the game has not been damaged by the changes.
The network issued a public apology at the end of Sunday night’s Melbourne-Richmond Anzac Eve match for interrupting a performance of The Last Post with a promotional break for its popular cooking show My Kitchen Rules.