Seven sizes up live footy variety show Michael Warner
From: Herald Sun
May 07, 2011 CHANNEL 7 is considering an AFL-based variety show as part of a packed four-game-a-week footy schedule from next season.
Fox Sports callers Brian Taylor and David King, and members of Network Ten's commentary team, could also be approached to front an expanded coverage.
Seven will hold talks next month about selling two games to Ten, but is warming to a schedule that fits all four.
The channel's Melbourne chief, Lewis Martin, said it was not afraid to try again with a prime-time show after last year's failure of The Bounce.
"We're always prepared to have a go. There are a lot of upsides to going live," Martin said.
He would not rule out buying an existing program such as Ten's Before the Game.
A move to four games a week would see Seven cover games on Friday night, Saturday afternoon, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Three would be live, with the Saturday afternoon match shown on a 90-minute delay as a lead-in to the 6pm news.
Seven paid $475 million for four weekly matches as part of the AFL's $1.25 billion TV rights deal.
Seven has tried and failed to take on Channel 9's The Footy Show with ill-fated attempts including Live and Kicking and The Game.
The Bounce audience fell from 326,000 in its first week to 161,000 before its axing weeks later.
Before the Game has been one of the success stories of Ten's foray into football, but might disappear if Ten did not reclaim the Saturday afternoon and night matches.
Under the $1.25 billion TV rights deal, Foxtel will air the five other weekly home-and-away matches as well as simulcasts of the games bought by Seven.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/seven-sizes-up-live-footy-variety-show/story-fn7x8me2-1226051455657
