ALL CLASS Fremantle’s Nat Fyfe was one of the stars of the competition in 2014. Ñ BROADCASTING, SCHEDULING & INFRASTRUCTURE SIMON LETHLEAN GENERAL MANAGER 36 AFL ANNUAL REPORT 2014 BROADCASTING, SCHEDULING & INFRASTRUCTURE 37 LOCAL BATTLE Clashes such as the Fremantle-West Coast TV AND DIGITAL derby are a feature of the AFL’s broadcast deal. Ñ MEDIA RIGHTS The AFL’s broadcast rights agreements with the Seven Network, Foxtel, BROADCASTING, Fox Sports and Telstra continue to deliver to fans extraordinary access to live coverage of AFL matches across a multitude of platforms. Highlights of this coverage included: ÆÆLive Friday night football on the Seven Network in every state SCHEDULING & and territory. ÆÆFour games in every round live on the Seven Network (7mate) in New South Wales, ACT and Queensland. ÆÆEvery game, every week live on Fox Sports/Fox Footy on Foxtel INFRASTRUCTURE and live on IPTV. ÆÆEvery game, every week live on Telstra mobile. ÆÆAll finals matches were broadcast The AFL delivered another successful year across live nationally on the Seven Network and all finals, excluding the Toyota AFL Grand Final, were broadcast a variety of media platforms while fans enjoyed live by Fox Footy on Foxtel. ÆÆSouth Australia and Western Australia, along with expansion first-class facilities at state-of-the-art stadiums. markets New South Wales, the ACT SIMON LETHLEAN and Queensland, each saw all 42 GENERAL MANAGER — Broadcasting, Scheduling and Major Projects matches involving their home state teams broadcast on both free-to-air and subscription television across the season. he AFL continued to work The capacity to engage fans and >ÆA new 7.20pm eastern seaboard start BROADCAST & MEDIA PARTNERS with key stakeholders in 2014 celebrate the game was again at the forefront time for Saturday night matches. to deliver the game to fans of AFL Media’s agenda throughout 2014 as it >ÆMore Saturday afternoon football The AFL’s broadcast rights nationally and internationally further cemented its foothold as the game’s in Victoria. agreements continue to deliver through our broadcast foremost news and content platform. >ÆContinued focus on Thursday night agreements with television, In addition, the AFL in 2014 ‘event’ matches. to fans extraordinary access to live Tradio, print and digital media partners. focused on: >ÆNo Sunday or Monday night matches. coverage of AFL matches across The ever-evolving consumption ÆÆA review of the AFL’s competition ÆÆServicing television broadcast partners, preferences of fans, in addition to a dynamic formats for 2015, including developing the Seven Network, Foxtel and Fox a multitude of platforms media and broadcast landscape, ensured a new three-match format for the 2015 Sports, and working with each to 2014 was another year of innovation across NAB Challenge, including more regional help deliver first-class broadcasts a range of media platforms. and suburban matches. and increased access to players and Innovation and development also ÆÆDeveloping a fixture for the 2015 Toyota coaches in broadcast. remained pivotal to the AFL’s national AFL Premiership Season, including the ÆÆServicing radio rights partners, stadium footprint with a key focus on balancing of requests and expectations international television partners enhancing existing facilities around the from multiple stakeholders but with and newspaper partner country and working with government a focus on attendance and making News Limited. and local stakeholders to secure the the game more accessible for all game’s next generation of facilities. fans around Australia, including: 38 AFL ANNUAL REPORT 2014 BROADCASTING, SCHEDULING & INFRASTRUCTURE 39 FOXTEL/FOX FOOTY INTERNATIONAL TV RIGHTS RADIO IN 2014 With every game every week broadcast With a commitment to strengthening viewer Radio again played a significant role live on Fox Sports/Fox Footy on Foxtel, access to Australian Football internationally, in taking the game to all corners of the fans were able to enjoy the entire AFL increased broadcast coverage of Premiership country in 2014, including metropolitan season as it unfolded, complemented by Season matches, Finals Series matches, and regional areas. proven weekly magazine programs such the Grand Final and AFL Events brought The AFL’s radio partners in as On The Couch, AFL 360, AFL League international fans across the globe closer metropolitan areas are 3AW, Triple M, Teams, Open Mike, Ed and Derm’s Big to the game than ever before in 2014. ABC Radio, SEN, FIVEaa and 6PR. Week in Footy and Bounce. Nine incumbent rights holders, ESPN, Regional audiences are broadcast AFL The AFL’s key events such as the Toyota Fox Soccer Plus, Australia Network, Orbit matches via ABC Radio, K-Rock (Geelong), AFL Season Launch, the Australian Football Showtime Network, Eurosport, Viva Sports, Gold FM (Gold Coast), Crocmedia, Hall of Fame ceremony, the NAB AFL Rising Sky New Zealand, Sommet Sports and Southern Cross Austereo and the Star presentation, the Virgin Australia AFL Over the Line Sports Media, broadcast AFL National Indigenous Radio Service (NIRS). All-Australian team announcement, the matches and events into more than 250 In Victoria, all nine matches each round Toyota AFL Grand Final Parade and the NAB territories worldwide. Two long-term rights during the 2014 Toyota AFL Premiership AFL Draft were all again showcased by our holders, Eurosport and Sky New Zealand, Season and all matches in the Toyota broadcast partners and were first-class secured further rights until the end of 2016, AFL Finals Series were broadcast on events to attend and first-class broadcasts with highlights of these renewals including radio, while every match featuring an watched by millions around Australia. extra content in the offerings such as: AFL club from Western Australia, South The most-watched regular ÆÆOne delayed Premiership Season Australia, Queensland and New South Foxtel-produced match across the season and Finals Series match every week Wales was broadcast into its respective was the Saturday twilight timeslot, with an on Eurosport into Asia (a new territory home states. BLOCKBUSTER average of 234,519 viewers nationally each for Eurosport’s coverage of AFL) along All Toyota AFL Finals Series matches The Anzac Day match between Collingwood round. The most-watched regular Foxtel with the Grand Final on delay. (including the Toyota AFL Grand Final) and Essendon attracted broadcast timeslot overall was Friday ÆÆOne delayed Premiership Season were broadcast nationally. the biggest television night, with an average of 279,887 viewers and Finals Series match every week An average 1.220 million people audience for the 2014 premiership season. nationally each round. into New Zealand on Sky Television a week listened to AFL matches during Ñ The highest-rating Foxtel broadcast along with broadcast of the Grand Final. the radio survey periods 4-6 in 2014 match for the home and away season The AFL’s digital streaming service (these being the three survey periods was the round 18 clash between Hawthorn on watchafl.com.au broadcast every that fall during the six months of The 10 most watched matches of The Toyota AFL Grand Final was and the Sydney Swans, which attracted match of every round live internationally, the season). TELEVISION IN 2014 the 2014 Toyota AFL Premiership Season the most watched program of the year 381,421 average national viewers. ensuring fans outside Australia had the The app/web stream for AFL The 2014 Toyota AFL Premiership Season (national average audiences across on Australian metropolitan free-to-air Another standout success for Foxtel greatest possible access to the game radio broadcast rights holders via again attracted strong audiences around free-to-air and subscription television) were: television with an audience of more than was the reality series The Recruit. The across all media platforms. Viewers were the popular AFL app had an average the country, via the Seven Network’s 2.828 million people in the five mainland inaugural 10-episode series, which saw 13 also treated to 29 episodes of the AFL’s unique audience of 24,000 per 1. Round 6: Collingwood v Essendon free-to-air television broadcast or metropolitan markets. aspiring footballers battle it out for a spot own Toyota AFL Highlights program match-day for the Premiership Season – 1.595 million (Anzac Day) through Foxtel/Fox Footy’s subscription The national average audience in on an AFL list, was a hit for Foxtel’s flagship every week throughout the Premiership and an average unique audience of television platform. 2. Round 8: Sydney Swans v Hawthorn metropolitan and regional Australia for general entertainment channel, FOX8. Season and the ensuing Finals Series. 20,000 per match-day for the Finals The average gross national audience – 1.508 million the Seven Network’s telecast was 3,733,409. Its average national weekly The program format delivered a range Series. A further 13,000 average unique per round of the premiership season across The average Grand Final audience was audience of 136,126 saw it become the of entertaining content, covering AFL listeners tuned into web streams 3. Round 18: Hawthorn v Sydney Swans free-to-air and subscription television slightly higher than last year’s audience fifth most-watched sports program on news and match highlights from every on the AFL website per match-day – 1.314 million was 4.727 million (4.729 million in 2013). of 3.634 million for the match between subscription television for 2014. Series round of the season. for the Premiership Season. The cumulative gross national 4. Round 7: Carlton v Collingwood Hawthorn and Fremantle. winner Johann Wagner was drafted to audience during the home and away – 1.310 million It was, however, down on the 4.081 Port Adelaide, while Irish contestant Padraig season was nearly 109 million (108,735,321) million who watched the 2012 match Lucey was recruited by the Geelong Cats.