The following is an open letter from AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou regarding the new broadcast rights.
The new broadcast rights agreement is a landmark agreement for the AFL and its broadcast partners that will deliver benefits to everybody who loves and follows our great game.
The biggest winners are our fans who will be able to watch more live football than ever before, in ways never seen before. These include:
· Live matches on Friday night on free to air in Victoria, Qld, NSW, Tasmania and the ACT
· Four games a week on free to air
· All nine games live on Foxtel
· All finals and the AFL Grand Final live across Australia on free to air
· All nine games live on IPTV and Telstra Mobile
· Better coverage across Australia, including NSW, QLD, WA and SA
Reach has always been important to the AFL, particularly on free to air TV, and especially with showpiece games across the home and away season and the finals series.
It’s clear since we signed our last broadcast agreement that viewing habits have changed. So has technology. People now want to see and expect to see major sport and other big events live whenever possible.
This agreement delivers just that. Wherever they are across Australia, people will now have better access to AFL matches when they want to watch them and more choice when it comes to how they want to watch them.
This is also a great deal for football across the country because it will enable the AFL to invest in the game to ensure it remains strong. The AFL is not just responsible for running the AFL competition but also guiding the development of the game across the country at all levels.
With the financial return from this agreement, we can invest in the game at all levels from the grassroots to the elite. Money that will go back to clubs, players, supporters, volunteers, state leagues, community facilities and programs from NAB AFL Auskick up, to continue to attract the best young athletes to the game.
The AFL wants to ensure AFL clubs are financially strong and players are fairly rewarded for their outstanding contribution to the game. They are the stars of the show and deserve to be fairly rewarded but this needs to be balanced against the needs of the game as a whole right across the community.
It’s important to support the game at all levels so more than 750,000 participants and the 120,000 volunteers remain involved and continue to enjoy the game. The AFL also wants to ensure supporters continue to enjoy a world class experience through having access to the very best stadiums.
More than 7 million people attended AFL matches last year and the AFL is committed to ensuring the game continues to remain accessible and affordable for all supporters. Wherever they come from right across the community.
The base admission price for a family to watch AFL football in 2011 is $40 and the cost of admission for children has increased by just 30 cents in the past 10 years. This continues to represent great value for money.
Club memberships are also at record levels and the AFL wants them to remain affordable so families can continue to belong to their clubs and enjoy the game each week.
The AFL will continue to develop pathways for the next generation of our stars, will continue to invest in communities across the country and will continue to play a leadership role across all parts of society.
Importantly, supporters will always be at the heart of our decision making as they remain the heart and soul of the game.
Thank you for your continued support wherever you may be across Australia. We want you to continue to enjoy the game we all love and help us grow it so it can remain strong for generations to come.
Andrew Demetriou
AFL CEO
Last Modified on 18/07/2011 17:22