Four of Australia’s biggest media companies have entered a multi billion-dollar bidding war for the rights to broadcast and stream AFL games from 2025 in a contest that could change the way fans watch the game.

Currently, Channel 7 and Foxtel will retain their rights however uncertainty looms over whether WA footy fans will get Fremantle and West Coast matches free-to-air. Foxtel is now pushing for exclusive rights for Saturday and Saturday night football.

“In the last 24-48 hours, Foxtel and Channel 7 have made a bunch of concessions to one another that will see them able to retain it,” Zoe Samios, Sydney Morning Herald / WAtoday media reporter told Oliver Peterson Perth Live.

“If this bid is successful, every game that Channel 7 broadcasts on their free to air channels will also broadcast on their online app 7 Plus. However, Foxtel has not wanted to give up their exclusive digital rights to all AFL games as that is how they get their subscribers for their streaming platform Kayo.”

“The AFL will have to weigh up how much they want these two partners to go together or alternatively look at another bid if they want to make sure there are more games on free to air.”

“If it does go that way this will be a perfect example of what happens to a sport when there are loop holes in the anti-siphoning laws that haven’t been over-hauled since the 1990s,” Ms Samios told Oly.

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