Seven and Foxtel to keep AFL rights in record $4.5bn seven-year deal

Seven West Media and Foxtel have confirmed they have secured the AFL media rights from 2025 to 2031 in a historic deal worth $4.5bn.

The outgoing AFL chief executive, Gill McLachlan, announced the seven-year deal which will give the code full control over the production of games including the scheduling of the grand final.

“Footy is the greatest game in the world and we have the best broadcast partners and our announcement today is the biggest partnership in the history of Australian sport,” McLachlan said.

“We are very proud to once again be hand in hand with Seven Network, Foxtel, Kayo and Telstra.”

The league had been weighing up offers from Channel Ten and its streaming partner Paramount+, and Channel Nine and its streaming partner Stan.

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The Seven West Media managing director and chief executive officer, James Warburton, said the network’s focus was to secure a comprehensive package of digital rights to the AFL for 7plus.

“For the first time, fans will be able to access the best AFL games and video content, live and free, in a way that suits them,” Warburton said.

"This partnership is an incredible result, unprecedented and the biggest in Australian sport."Watch LIVE as AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan announces the new broadcast rights deal: https://t.co/h9RCtv3Sse pic.twitter.com/T5gZJMsQJs

Seven said it would pay a 14% increase on the 2024 rights in 2025 and “with indexation over the term this represents a 3.6% compound annual growth rate in rights fees across the period”.

"This is a historic day for football"Watch as AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan and AFL Commission chairman Richard Goyder announce the new broadcast rights deal: