Fox AFL channel to be revived Mike Sheahan, Michael Warner
From: Herald Sun
April 28, 2011FOXTEL will revive its dedicated footy channel - to be called Foxtel AFL - under its new TV rights deal.
Fox Footy Channel ran on Foxtel from 2002 to 2006.
The Herald Sun also understands Foxtel will show the Brownlow Medal live, simultaneously with Channel 7.
An announcement about football's biggest pay day is expected today.
League coffers will swell by significantly more than $1 billion from the sale of the AFL's lucrative TV and internet rights for the next five years.1
The windfall will trigger a push by the game's 800 players for a bumper pay rise in the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations.
Players have told the AFL they want a fixed 27 per cent cut of all future revenues, which, on last year's figures, equates to $220 million.
Channel 7 and pay-TV giant Foxtel have secured the AFL's broadcast contracts, with the online rights going to Telstra.
But the testy negotiations are far from over, with Network Ten expected to argue it has first right of refusal on any on-sold TV timeslots.
Seven and Ten were expected to bid together, but fell out in recent weeks over money and a court dispute involving defecting Seven executive James Warburton.
Channel 9 has emerged as a possible home for Saturday or Sunday afternoon football should Seven opt not to broadcast all four of its free-to-air matches.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/fox-afl-channel-to-be-revived/story-e6frf9jf-1226045868122
