They can just switch the cricket over to 7mate
Strange that Nine didn’t flick it to Gem last season. It’s easier to do with tennis or cricket, Aussie rules not so much.
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The game can finish anywhere from around 5.45 - 6.10 depending on how long the quarters go.
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They did, at least during one test.
Knowing how precious news ratings are to Seven, and going off tennis/Olympics/Comm Games it will almost certainly switch to 7Two or 7mate if still airing at 6pm, may even do a wrap show (before coverage ends say after Boxing Day and Sydney Tests?)
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Hamish McLachlan and Luke Darcy calling tonight’s Melbourne-Richmond game.
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Why are Seven’s promos always off during the AFL? Must be ingested in their broadcast systems and there’d be a cut off time, but seem to get it wrong?
As on 7mate it was promoting tonight’s episode of Interview for 9pm, but aired at 9:20pm 
Oops
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Could that promo for Interview be aimed at viewers in SA, NT and WA? It would have aired in SA at 8.50pm local time, still giving some viewers time to switch to main channel.
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While watching AFL in Sydney tonight (Tuesday) on 7mate a banner popped up on the bottom telling everyone that Vic & SA are watching it in HD on 7 thanks Seven love watching AFL in stunning SD
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The AFL is not a high rating sport in NSW or QLD, hence the SD treatment on 7mate.
You have to pay FOXTEL for HD.
Its the same with the NRL coverage on Nine in the southern states.
Yep, that’s the reality.
MKR had over 400k in Sydney last night, no way were they going to take main channel HD away from that and alienate viewers.
But, and this is the thing, in Melbourne the AFL on 7mate outrated MKR (albeit by 1k) last year and given live sport, an absolute no brainer the HD switch was required down south tonight.
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I get why the AFL is shown on 7mate in NSW and Queensland. Unless the local teams are playing in finals, it’s generally not of mainstream interest.
But for Melbourne & Adelaide, surely they could’ve just aired the ANZAC Eve AFL match on the main channel and MKR (and whatever other Seven primetime programing) on 7TWO for the night?
No, because Seven know nobody will watch MKR on 7Two or 7mate.
But they know people will watch the AFL on any channel, as demonstrated in the past.
It’s pure desperation to keep MKR’s ratings safe. Pathetic.
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I don’t know that I’d call it desperation…
It sounds like a smart ratings strategy.
And as you pointed out, it seems to have worked.
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Probably also highlights the number of people who don’t watch 7HD on channel 70 and still only watch the primary channels.
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Have Seven actually tried airing a first-run episode of MKR on either 7TWO or 7mate before? If the answer is no, how do you (or the network for that matter) know that’s true?
Anyway, as it turns out the AFL outrated MKR in Melbourne by a fairly healthy margin last night while Adelaide preferred to watch MKR over the AFL. To me, that suggests it’s probably worth adjusting the “ANZAC Eve” schedule to fit the AFL coverage on the main channel in Melbourne next year.
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I’m a little surprised that today’s Collingwood vs Essendon game isn’t on the main channel in Sydney (7mate SD only), as it has been on 7 in at least some recent years.
I know it’s up against Nine’s NRL Anzac Day game from 4pm but still.
Bruce McAvaney and Brian Taylor calling today’s Collingwood v Essendon game, but before the match BT went to the Triple M box and gave his radio colleagues a blowtorch.
(James Brayshaw and Wayne Carey also work for both Triple M and Seven)
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The AFL could sign off on a twilight Grand Final starting at 5pm AEST as soon as today. Beneficial for West Aussies as it will mean a 3pm start on a Saturday. Entertainment rumoured to expand with half time 29 mins long.
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Perfect, they can show the “Channel Change Alert” for viewers to move to 7mate at 6pm for the news!
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No, noooooo, nobody wants a tradition to be ruined. Keep it daytime, 2:30 please
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