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Seven's AFL coverage in 1997

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parano1a

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Mar 2, 2003
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I was looking through some old TV guides from 1997 this morning and thought it might be interesting to look at the level of coverage Channel Seven was giving to AFL ten years ago.

Here's Seven's schedule from a few random rounds...

ROUND 8

FRIDAY May 16
8:30 AFL Football: Round 8. Collingwood v Western Bulldogs. Delayed telecast from the MCG.

SATURDAY May 17
4:00 Interfooty.
4:30 Rex Hunt's Fishing Adventures.
5:00 Around The Grounds.
5:30 Seven News.
6:00 AFL Winners. AFL news and highlights from today's games: Melbourne v Geelong, North Melbourne v Port Adelaide.
8:30 AFL Football: Round 8. Adelaide v Sydney. Live from Football Park.

SUNDAY May 18
9:00am Sportsworld. Live.
11:00 Footy Panel with Rex Hunt. Live.
12pm AFL Gameday. Live.
2:00 AFL Football: Round 8. Fremantle v Brisbane. Live from Subiaco.
5:00 AFL Football: Round 8. Highlights from Essendon v St Kilda, Carlton v Hawthorn.

MONDAY May 19
8:30 AFL Football: Round 8. Richmond v West Coast. Delayed telecast from the MCG.
11:30 Talking Footy. AFL panel discussion show hosted by Bruce McAvaney, with Mike Sheahan and Leigh Matthews.


ROUND 12

FRIDAY June 13
7:30 AFL Football: Round 12. Sydney v Richmond. Live from the SCG.

SATURDAY June 14
4:00 Interfooty.
4:30 Rex Hunt's Fishing Adventures.
5:00 Around The Grounds.
5:30 Seven News.
6:00 AFL Winners. AFL news and highlights from today's games: Western Bulldogs v Port Adelaide, Collingwood v West Coast, Geelong v Hawthorn.

SUNDAY June 15
9:00am Sportsworld. Live.
11:00 Footy Panel with Rex Hunt. Live.
12pm AFL Gameday. Live.
2:00 AFL Football: Round 12. Fremantle v Essendon. Live from Subiaco, followed by Adelaide v North Melbourne. Live from Football Park.
10:40 AFL Football: Round 12. St Kilda v Carlton. Replay of today's match of the day from Waverley Park.

As you can see, Seven only ever aired three or four games per round in full, with many games only being allocated up to an hour in highlights packages.
 
Which is exactly what 75% of viewers got last year . Not everyone has got foxtel. I am sure that 7/10 would like them on board but they dont have to take a low offer.

Khan
 
That was 10 years ago, guys, in a completely different economic climate in relation to AFL.

The bar has been set much higher by Nine, Ten and Foxtel and it's folly to think that the Seven/Ten consortium will provide WORSE overall coverage of the game after paying MORE for the rights.

BBP, Seven's coverage wasn't pathetic for the time. It was what we were all used to. Viewers didn't expect any more footy on TV. What did you expect? That Seven would cover all eight games on its own?

Even if Foxtel doesn't come back on board, Seven and Ten will only be televising four games each. That's ONE GAME MORE than what Seven was giving us in 1997.

The only reason we've been blessed with such good coverage in recent seasons is because the networks decided to band together to get a slice of the AFL action. That set a precedent which has been great for the viewers.

Get your heads out of the sand and take a reality check.

Edit: Khan, good to see that someone else out there has got half a clue.
 

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The 5/3 spilt between FTA and Fox clearly is the best format.

If football is only on FTA, the coverage will be an embarresment, a disgrace and a step backwards towards 1992. The idea of games not being replayed during the weekend and the following week is a joke -considering AFL is one of the most professional leagues in the world.

8 games on FTA is a win for communism.
 
The 5/3 spilt between FTA and Fox clearly is the best format.

If football is only on FTA, the coverage will be an embarresment, a disgrace and a step backwards towards 1992. The idea of games not being replayed during the weekend and the following week is a joke -considering AFL is one of the most professional leagues in the world.

8 games on FTA is a win for communism.
????

I don't know what you're getting at. Communism? Where does communism come into the coverage of AFL footy?

There is a pitifully small market that wants to see games replayed during the week and over the weekend and it seems that you're part of it, BBP.

As long as every game gets live or delayed coverage, I can't see what the problem is. Those who want to see the game played out have the opportunity to do so. And, if they can't watch the game at the time it's televised, they can record it. Everyone's got a VCR or a DVD recorder, don't they?
 
????

I don't know what you're getting at. Communism? Where does communism come into the coverage of AFL footy?

There is a pitifully small market that wants to see games replayed during the week and over the weekend and it seems that you're part of it, BBP.

As long as every game gets live or delayed coverage, I can't see what the problem is. Those who want to see the game played out have the opportunity to do so. And, if they can't watch the game at the time it's televised, they can record it. Everyone's got a VCR or a DVD recorder, don't they?
I'd prefer my recorded games without ads.

The point I'm getting at is that it will be poor form if games will be shown once and once only (with a multitude of ads interrupting the broadcast).

The beauty about Fox Footy was that its Saturday and Sunday coverage was second to none:

Saturday - 2-6 Live game
7-10-Live game
10-12:30 - Channel 10's game in full uninterrupted coverage
12:30 - 3 - Replay of c 10's afternoon game

Sunday 2-5:00 Live game
5 - 7:30 - Replay of ch 9 game

Footy on FTA will see a return to the dark ages I'm afraid and it's not acceptable IMO.
 
I maybe wrong but Channel Nine and Ten didn't broadcast football against each other at the same time last year. So, even though Foxtel was in the picture, there were only ever two channels showing football (live or delayed) at the one time.

My preference is that some sort of deal is struck with Foxtel but as long as the new deal allows for the programming of live and delayed matches on Seven and Ten against each other (particularly Saturday night and Sunday afternoon) then we should expect the same level of service as last year. Shouldn't we?
 
I'd prefer my recorded games without ads.

The point I'm getting at is that it will be poor form if games will be shown once and once only (with a multitude of ads interrupting the broadcast).

The beauty about Fox Footy was that its Saturday and Sunday coverage was second to none:

Saturday - 2-6 Live game
7-10-Live game
10-12:30 - Channel 10's game in full uninterrupted coverage
12:30 - 3 - Replay of c 10's afternoon game

Sunday 2-5:00 Live game
5 - 7:30 - Replay of ch 9 game

Footy on FTA will see a return to the dark ages I'm afraid and it's not acceptable IMO.


You are aware that even if nine had won the footy then the separate channel was gone anyway and even if fox are now bought in it will remain gone. What may come back is the replays but in no way will there be a football dominated channel.

Th realities of the last deal that fox did was that at the start subscibers paid for fox footy (myself included) then three years back they included it in the sports package. Two years back they included it in the basic package to try to get some buy ins. However the subscription increase never realy came hence it was mostly unfunded.

The new package wil be on Fox Sports three which has adds to pay for the sports it shows. That is where it will be. Fox have already let out the studios and offices in Melbourne where they used to produce Fox Footy from. It quite simply isnt coming back and was never going to be here this year.

Khan
 
I seem to remember we got a Saturday afternoon game here in Adelaide as well. I assume that the Vics didn't get it due to the "going against the gate" theory we go by. I think we hd 6 games on FTA most weeks, which was pretty good.

We always got a live game on the Saturday arvo in WA as well.

FNF at 7.30 most weeks as well.
 
The 5/3 spilt between FTA and Fox clearly is the best format.

If football is only on FTA, the coverage will be an embarresment, a disgrace and a step backwards towards 1992. The idea of games not being replayed during the weekend and the following week is a joke -considering AFL is one of the most professional leagues in the world.

8 games on FTA is a win for communism.


You are seriously deluded. Do you work for Foxtel or Andrew Bolt or something?

Much has changed since 1997 including the amount of money in the game. Capitalism has definitely been the winner here but thanks for making me laugh
 
I was looking through some old TV guides from 1997 this morning and thought it might be interesting to look at the level of coverage Channel Seven was giving to AFL ten years ago.

Here's Seven's schedule from a few random rounds...

ROUND 8

FRIDAY May 16
8:30 AFL Football: Round 8. Collingwood v Western Bulldogs. Delayed telecast from the MCG.

SATURDAY May 17
4:00 Interfooty.
4:30 Rex Hunt's Fishing Adventures.
5:00 Around The Grounds.
5:30 Seven News.
6:00 AFL Winners. AFL news and highlights from today's games: Melbourne v Geelong, North Melbourne v Port Adelaide.
8:30 AFL Football: Round 8. Adelaide v Sydney. Live from Football Park.

SUNDAY May 18
9:00am Sportsworld. Live.
11:00 Footy Panel with Rex Hunt. Live.
12pm AFL Gameday. Live.
2:00 AFL Football: Round 8. Fremantle v Brisbane. Live from Subiaco.
5:00 AFL Football: Round 8. Highlights from Essendon v St Kilda, Carlton v Hawthorn.

MONDAY May 19
8:30 AFL Football: Round 8. Richmond v West Coast. Delayed telecast from the MCG.
11:30 Talking Footy. AFL panel discussion show hosted by Bruce McAvaney, with Mike Sheahan and Leigh Matthews.


ROUND 12

FRIDAY June 13
7:30 AFL Football: Round 12. Sydney v Richmond. Live from the SCG.

SATURDAY June 14
4:00 Interfooty.
4:30 Rex Hunt's Fishing Adventures.
5:00 Around The Grounds.
5:30 Seven News.
6:00 AFL Winners. AFL news and highlights from today's games: Western Bulldogs v Port Adelaide, Collingwood v West Coast, Geelong v Hawthorn.

SUNDAY June 15
9:00am Sportsworld. Live.
11:00 Footy Panel with Rex Hunt. Live.
12pm AFL Gameday. Live.
2:00 AFL Football: Round 12. Fremantle v Essendon. Live from Subiaco, followed by Adelaide v North Melbourne. Live from Football Park.
10:40 AFL Football: Round 12. St Kilda v Carlton. Replay of today's match of the day from Waverley Park.

As you can see, Seven only ever aired three or four games per round in full, with many games only being allocated up to an hour in highlights packages.
:eek: :eek:
 

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Bring-Back-Powell said:
I'd prefer my recorded games without ads.

The point I'm getting at is that it will be poor form if games will be shown once and once only (with a multitude of ads interrupting the broadcast).

The beauty about Fox Footy was that its Saturday and Sunday coverage was second to none:

Saturday - 2-6 Live game
7-10-Live game
10-12:30 - Channel 10's game in full uninterrupted coverage
12:30 - 3 - Replay of c 10's afternoon game

Sunday 2-5:00 Live game
5 - 7:30 - Replay of ch 9 game

Footy on FTA will see a return to the dark ages I'm afraid and it's not acceptable IMO.
I reckon you're having a cry over spilt milk.

If every game is shown live or delayed on FTA, then I contend that the service has actually improved for the majority of football fans. They can watch every game, every round, from the comfort of their living rooms.

Ads in the coverage? Big deal. It's not as though you miss any of the actual game. Are you that keen on watching the ball being run back to the centre of the ground? Or watching replays, ad nauseum, of the relatively insignificant piece of play that led to a regulation goal? There's only so many angles you can watch a set shot from before it gets boring. If a goal is so remarkable that it needs a replay, you'll get it.

Your concept of television "dark ages" is bizarre, as well. How does every game being televised on free to air TV, thus being automatically available to EVERY football fan, represent a step backwards?

If you're complaining that games won't be shown three times a week, you've got your head in the clouds. As Khan said earlier, that is unlikely to happen, even if Foxtel does get a piece of the action. Their bottom line suffered badly from Fox Footy and they won't spend anywhere near as much money on showing replays of run-of-the-mill games for the die-hard tragics like you.
 
BBP, Seven's coverage wasn't pathetic for the time. It was what we were all used to. Viewers didn't expect any more footy on TV. What did you expect? That Seven would cover all eight games on its own?

Even if Foxtel doesn't come back on board, Seven and Ten will only be televising four games each. That's ONE GAME MORE than what Seven was giving us in 1997.
.
BTW, I could swear 7 used to show a lot more than three games a round.

In fact in 2000 and 2001 into Melbourne I reckon they showed Friday night (8.30pm), Saturday afternoon games (on replay 4-6pm), Sat night Live (7.30-10.30pm), Sat night other game (delayed 10.30-12.30), Sunday afternoon (2-5) and a replay on Sunday after the late movie of the other games.

And with C7 showing games on PAY TV I reckon I got far better value for money cos they actually showed decent games on there. Not to mention people in NSW/QLD actually got live Friday night footy on pay TV!!!!!
 
I reckon you're having a cry over spilt milk.

If every game is shown live or delayed on FTA, then I contend that the service has actually improved for the majority of football fans. They can watch every game, every round, from the comfort of their living rooms.

Ads in the coverage? Big deal. It's not as though you miss any of the actual game. Are you that keen on watching the ball being run back to the centre of the ground? Or watching replays, ad nauseum, of the relatively insignificant piece of play that led to a regulation goal? There's only so many angles you can watch a set shot from before it gets boring. If a goal is so remarkable that it needs a replay, you'll get it.

Your concept of television "dark ages" is bizarre, as well. How does every game being televised on free to air TV, thus being automatically available to EVERY football fan, represent a step backwards?

If you're complaining that games won't be shown three times a week, you've got your head in the clouds. As Khan said earlier, that is unlikely to happen, even if Foxtel does get a piece of the action. Their bottom line suffered badly from Fox Footy and they won't spend anywhere near as much money on showing replays of run-of-the-mill games for the die-hard tragics like you.
Fair enough, I agree with most of your points.

However, I don't know about you but the ads give me the irits. Any time a game was on either 10 or fox, I'd choose Fox as there was no adds after every single goal. I'd rather see football, then a reminder of Big Brother evictions every 2 minutes!!!

Also, how can we be totally sure that all our Demon interstate games will be telecast live on 7 or 10. Under the FTA agreement they have to show all 8 games but do they have to them live?? For example when Melbourne plays Freo or WCE over there, I was always guaranteed that it would be shown live and exclusive on Fox...no strings attached.

And for all you FTA lovers, remember 2001 when channel 7 delayed some Saturday night games in favour of Rugby Union tests.

C'mon Foxtel come to the party!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

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Bring-Back-Powell said:
Also, how can we be totally sure that all our Demon interstate games will be telecast live on 7 or 10. Under the FTA agreement they have to show all 8 games but do they have to them live?? For example when Melbourne plays Freo or WCE over there, I was always guaranteed that it would be shown live and exclusive on Fox...no strings attached.

And for all you FTA lovers, remember 2001 when channel 7 delayed some Saturday night games in favour of Rugby Union tests.
The games will either be live or delayed by an hour at most. Given the exorbitant price that 7/10 paid for the rights, they'll need to make heaps back from advertising.

They'll get much less for advertising during a telecast footy match that starts at 10.30pm, compared to one that starts at 7.30 or 8.30.

In this instance, the economics of the deal is in the viewers' favour. Seven and Ten might end up losing out financially, but their best hope of avoiding heavy deficits is to put the games on at the times when most people will be watching -- and that's as close to "live" as possible.

As an aside, I don't mind watching Australia playing international rugby Tests, so a double header of the Wallabies and the Dees sounds all right to me. It's easier when you appreciate all sports, rather than just the footy.
 
As an aside, I don't mind watching Australia playing international rugby Tests, so a double header of the Wallabies and the Dees sounds all right to me. It's easier when you appreciate all sports, rather than just the footy.
Pfft... :rolleyes: the only sport that counts in this world is AFL.

Other than that I think we see eye to eye on everything else :p
 
BTW, I could swear 7 used to show a lot more than three games a round.

In fact in 2000 and 2001 into Melbourne I reckon they showed Friday night (8.30pm), Saturday afternoon games (on replay 4-6pm), Sat night Live (7.30-10.30pm), Sat night other game (delayed 10.30-12.30), Sunday afternoon (2-5) and a replay on Sunday after the late movie of the other games.

And with C7 showing games on PAY TV I reckon I got far better value for money cos they actually showed decent games on there. Not to mention people in NSW/QLD actually got live Friday night footy on pay TV!!!!!

Yep I had C7 between 1998 and 2001 seasons. Live Friday night and Saturday nights games guaranteed in Sydney along with a couple of other games live, and at least 1 replay of every game along with channel 7's standard FTA coverage was good enough for me. Optus pay TV cost $39 per month for the basic package that included C7, which was good value.

WLF, Grumpy Old Men, Headliners, replays at decent time of the day are good shows but did we really need a 24/7 channel? C7 had the equivalent shows as On the Couch and League Teams. If Fox got/get the rights I expect Fox Sports 3 to be very similiar to the old C7.

I don't think 4 games on 7 and 4 on 10 will be as good as having 7 + C7. There won't be as many live games available up here, and replays will be at crap times.

Everyone talks about the losses that 7 and 10 will make but what is it worth to Stokes that Foxtel get screwed, after they screwed C7??? Not sure that 10 get any benefit out of this game by 7 and Foxtel, but they might not have any choice.
 
2:00 AFL Football: Round 12. Fremantle v Essendon. Live from Subiaco, followed by Adelaide v North Melbourne. Live from Football Park.

Remember that, Dockers v Essendon at subi was meant to be the live televised game but they cut out of it half way through the game as we were getting belted and showed all of the crows v north game instead.
 

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Seven's AFL coverage in 1997


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