AFL holds key to live season opener, sys Channel 10 Michael Warner
Herald Sun
March 04, 2011 THE AFL, not Channel 10, will decide whether the season-opening Richmond-Carlton blockbuster at the MCG is aired live.
Ten's head of football, David Barham, said yesterday the network was restricted from showing against-the-gate broadcasts of Melbourne matches under the terms of the league's TV rights contract.
The rule does not apply to Ten's broadcast partner, Channel 7, on Friday nights.
"If the AFL will let us go live, we will go live," Barham told SEN of the March 24 showdown.
"They know we want to go live. (But) we can only go live . . . with Carlton-Richmond if the AFL says it's OK.
"It's in our contract - we can only go live when the AFL lets us."
The AFL, which has been ramping up the pressure on its broadcasters to go live in recent months, yesterday confirmed the arrangement.
"The AFL's contract with Channel 10 doesn't allow for live telecasts, without approval, as that was the agreement that was signed back in 2005 for this rights period," league spokesman Patrick Keane said.
"The process has been that we have a discussion with both Ten and the clubs playing in the match to talk about a live telecast when it is shaping as a high-capacity game. This usually happens in the week leading up to the game.
This will be on our agenda for Richmond versus Carlton as we build up to round 1, and I would expect any decision on live coverage would be made in the 7-10 days before the game is played."
AFL boss Andrew Demetriou has made no secret of his anger at Seven's decision not to go live in recent seasons.
The station has preferred a one-hour delay in favour of the top-rating Better Homes & Gardens.
Demetriou said in November: "I don't think people want replays or delays . . . hopefully Channel 7 will get into the 21st century."
The AFL is eyeing a payday of more than $1 billion for the next round of rights, expected to be sold before the season's launch - up from $780 million under the existing deal.
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