### Break point
Ashes aside, this week could mark the moment the economics of sports broadcasting reached breaking point.
On Wednesday,this masthead reported Foxtel’s new owner DAZN could be considering a formal application to reduce its outlay on the AFL deal, worth about $420 million a year to 2031. In a statement, DAZN categorically denied that was the case.But ther’s the reality that the AFL rode a wave of perfect conditions to secure its $4.5 billion, seven-year deal, in turn skewing the expectations of all other codes. At that point, ad revenue was recovering from the pandemic and there were no signals it would fall off the cliff as it has in the years since, making similar contracts simply unaffordable.
Seven had already tried to blow up its cricket contract in 2022. And for AFL, Seven needs an average of 29 goals a game to sell enough ads to break even, senior sources with knowledge of the figures say.the figure was 24.5 in 2025, which makes it no surprise that new rules were introduced this month to promote more goals next year.
There will probably be more goals in 2026, thus more ad breaks.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
But while Foxtel relies
Mia Fevola Joins Seven’s Lineup, Pauline Hanson Dominates Sky News
Fevola has form with Seven, having appeared on Dancing with the Stars earlier this year. At 25 and with no television experience, could this be the edge Seven needs in Melbourne next year, having been trounced by Nine in 2025?
Hysterical for Hanson
Sky News has officially gone gaga for Pauline Hanson thanks not only to One Nation’s soaring polling results but also her second burqa stunt in the Senate on Monday.
Mocked for his regular After Dark appearances in the election lead-up, Peter Dutton was putting up rookie numbers by comparison to the One Nation leader. She has appeared as a guest on sky’s After Dark programming on six of the past nine nights, including each show, barring…
Sky Australia Welcomes New Content Teams
Sky’s new studios, almost ready for launch next week.
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Sky Australia is growing its content creation team. this week, Michael Miller, the head of Sky Australia, announced that Medium Rare, Storyation, and Visual Domain will be joining them at their new studio.
These companies will work alongside Sky’s existing teams, creating more content for viewers.This move aims to bring more creative talent together in one place.
Medium Rare is known for its social video content. Storyation specializes in creating branded content and storytelling. Visual Domain focuses on post-production and visual effects.
The new studio is expected to be fully operational soon, and Sky is excited about the opportunities this collaboration will bring.
Worth a look