No more Quartermain, Walls, Lane, Darcy and Blight on tv unless SEVEN or FOX pick them up.
Channel 10 decides not to show AFL games from next season Staff writer
From: Herald Sun
June 23, 2011 5:01PMCHANNEL 10 has told its AFL team they will not be covering matches after this season.
The news confirms reports in The Australian yesterday that the Ten Network had passed on the opportunity to show games under the new broadcast agreement.
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Under the $1.25 billion deal signed earlier this year, Channel 7 won the right to broadcast four matches each weekend from next season.
Negotiations have been underway for Seven to sell up to two of those games to Ten.
But Ten's head of sport David Barham told Fairfax Media today the network had opted not to show footy for the first time since 2002.
"It is a bit of a shame. It's the choice of the network. It's purely a business decision," Barham said.
"Everyone is disappointed but understands the decision."
Channel 9 could still strike a deal with Seven, but that seems a long shot.
If a deal is not struck Seven is likely to show some of the matches on its digital channel 7mate.
It will also create a scramble for jobs in front of the camera among Ten's top football talent including Steve Quartermain, Malcolm Blight and Robert Walls.
Channel Seven issued a press release acknowledging it would be the sole free-to-air footy broadcaster next year.
“We are excited about the prospect of carrying all the AFL games for which we bid," said Lewis Martin, the general manager of Seven's Melbourne office.
“But we wish to acknowledge that Channel Ten has been a terrific AFL broadcast partner for the past five years, and their commitment to the game over the past decade. We understand and empathise with how difficult these decisions can be.
“That said, we have planned to broadcast all four games every weekend from next year – plus finals, the Grand Final and the Brownlow Medal – and we look forward to becoming the sole free-to-air destination for AFL.”
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/ten-pulls-plug-on-bid-to-screen-afl-matches-report/story-e6frf9jf-1226079908195
