Gerard has had time off from AFL 360 before, so that’s not unprecedented.
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They have Kath host 360+ with Dermott anyway so she could sub in.
Kath’s moved to Perth, I believe she’s dropped all her Melbourne commitments, probs only doing boundary riding @ Optus Stadium for Fox now.
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Oh right, forgot about that. Either way there are people to fill in. It would just be working out compensation/an arrangement from 9 to Fox now.
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The new starting time means the Swans-Lions game will clash with the Giants-Suns clash which takes place at the same time (7.10pm AEDT).
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I’d say I’m surprised Fox Footy didn’t try and swap the start times, but since both Thursday matches are vaguely in the same area that wouldn’t have worked due to the same heat issue.
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According to Foxtel online guide, Fox Footy will show Swans v Lions live, while Giants v Suns will be on Fox Sports 503.
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Matt Hill is calling the GWS V Gold Coast game on 503 alongside Dwayne Russell. If memory serves, Matt has called AFL for Seven previously but not for Fox. Do we think he has signed on with Fox or it’s a one-off thing?
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Matt Hill has called matches for Fox before, but only on Sunday afternoons.
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Thanks. I recall him doing that for Seven a few times. Didn’t realise he’d done so for Fox too. Good to know, many thanks.
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Nup, he’s joined Fox Sports now.
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He called on 7 once or twice but not many times. But he’s joined Fox Footy
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Were Fox doing their own commentary on seven games this year or next year?
Next year.
Can’t wait.
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Damn, I was excited for nothing tonight
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Same with 7Plus, still blacked out tonight for the AFL, but get those rights next year (actually I think Seven have been saying “later in 2024” so potentially for the finals or at least officially for the Grand Final - maybe they were referring to cricket which have a similar rights issue).
How Seven agreed to these previous deals is beyond me, albeit under Tim Worner and in the case of the AFL signed in late 2015 when streaming (like 7Tennis app in its infancy) was still relatively new but by mid-2018 for cricket shouldn’t have happened, I think Foxtel flexed their muscles there.
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Yes, “later in 2024” would refer to the Grand Final; that was on 7Plus last year as well.
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I suspect Seven were absolutely desperate for a long term summer sport to fill the void of the Tennis rights loss a few weeks prior. Hence they were willing to let Foxtel dictate terms.
I also suspect Seven’s management at the time was still not fully convinced on streaming as an alternative to terrestrial, given the failure of Presto the prior year. Unfortunately for them 2019 and especially 2020 proved to be big turning points in the growth of streaming, boosted by the pandemic.
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Fox having their own commentary for 7 games will have big impacts on radio coverage.
•Anthony Hudson does Thursdays/Fridays on 3AW
•Gerard Whateley (if Fox has him calling games) does Thursdays & Fridays on SEN
•Matt Hill does Thursdays on SEN
•Dwayne Russell does Fridays on SEN
•Mark Howard does Fridays on MMM
•Kelli Underwood does ABC
•Leigh Montagna does MMM
I’m going to assume Anthony Hudson would do both big prime time Thursday Night & Friday night games for Fox with maybe Dwayne Russell & Mark Howard. So 3AW, SEN & MMM would most likely be impacted.
Also that means Fox commentators would all basically have to do 2 games each given they have 8-9 callers and use 2 per match most of the time
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I also wonder if Fox Footy will also have their own graphics etc, in the same manner that Fox League does for Nine games?