AFL Chief Operating Officer Gillon McLachlan today announced the AFL had finalised new two-year agreements for its regional radio broadcast rights with existing partners ABC, 3AW, FIVEaa, 6PR, K-Rock and the Brisbane Indigenous Media Association (BIMA).
A focus on expanding football coverage throughout regional Australia has also seen the AFL reach terms with a new partner, Crocmedia, for the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
As per the current regional arrangements, capital city partners 3AW, FIVEaa and 6PR will continue to relay their calls into regional Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. ABC will take its call each weekend to local radio throughout the country and it will also provide live coverage into Queensland of all matches featuring the Gold Coast Football Club, once the team enters the competition in 2011.
Complimenting ABC’s support of the Gold Coast team will be Austereo’s ongoing commitment to AFL football in Brisbane and BIMA, which has renewed its commitment to broadcast all matches involving Queensland-based teams into regional Queensland, together with an additional three matches each week.
BIMA’s calls will also be broadcast on relay across the National Indigenous Radio Service (NIRS) network to the Northern Territory, regional New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia.
K-Rock will continue its long-term commitment in the greater Geelong area, broadcasting all matches involving the Geelong Cats, as well as one additional match each week.
The league also announced that Crocmedia will provide syndicated live calls of four matches each week of the home and away season. The calls will be relayed to regional stations throughout Victoria, Tasmania and other parts of the country.
All calls will continue to be carried exclusively on the AFL website, afl.com.au, via web-stream.