LiveAFLtv

[Revised 8 Feb 2013 with details on Fox plans and Canada and 10, 11, and 12 Feb with more on AFL-TV. Revised 27 Feb with more from Fox. Revised 13 March with more on Fox. Also initial TV schedules were posted on the main TV schedule page.. Readers on the home page please press "Read More" below to see this entire article. Also see the comments.] AFANA has some preliminary information on the internet and TV coverage for the upcoming 2013 season. We will be updating this post over the next few weeks as more information becomes available. Here are the main points to know:

* The AFL has indicated that Fox Soccer Plus (FSP) will provide the same coverage in 2013 as in 2012 and that means two live matches per week with occasional repeats. Fox has not yet responded to our inquiries so we do not have confirmation from their end. However, since this is consistent with what both the AFL and Fox said was the agreed deal for 2012-2014 we have minimal concern. [Update: 27 Feb.: Fox has replied, telling AFANA in part: "We will be broadcasting the 2013 AFL Season. There will be a minimum of 2 live games per week on FOX Soccer Plus, in HD, with the season kicking off Saturday, March 23rd. We will be broadcasting every playoff match including the Grand Final."]

* AFANA is aware of various reports on the plans by Fox to convert several existing channels to national sports channels

The following is the time line for the the Grand Final day events including key times for match and TV related activities.   All times are listed first in Australian AEST and then in US EDT.  This is based on information from the AFL, AFANA, press reports and past history. This story will be periodically updated with late information.  (Revised 9/28/12)

Fox Soccer Plus (FSP) in the USA and TSN2 in Canada will carry the Grand Final between Hawthorn and Sydney LIVE on Friday night / Saturday morning, September 28th / 29th.  US coverage on FSP will begin at 9:00 PM EDT Friday including most pre-match festivities; Coverage will continue until 4:30 AM EDT Saturday concluding after the awards ceremony and post match interviews. First bounce is about 12:30 AM EDT. Canadian coverage on TSN2 will begin at 11:30 PM EDT and run to 4:00 AM. If you have no access to any of the preceding options, the game will be live on LiveSport.tv and you can signup at (removed link - obsolete).  Fans should check our TV Schedule page for details on the coverage and our TV Info page for more information on FSP and TSN2   For those looking for parties, see our listings on our Grand Final Party page.  We have a timeline of Grand Final Day events posted here.   (Note:  the only live coverage in North America is via these outlets and they are available nationally via cable and satellite services -- see our TV Info page.)

The AFL announced today that it had reached a three year deal (2012-2014) with Fox Sports for weekly AFL coverage on FOX Soccer Plus (FSP).  FSP is the subscription channel counterpart to Fox Soccer (formerly Fox Soccer Channel and before that Fox Sports World).  The cost will be $14.99 a month and FSP is available to customers of DirecTV, DISH, Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-verse, most Time-Warner and Brighthouse cable systems, Cablevision, Cox, BlueRidge, Bendbroadband, SureWest, FullChannel, Frontier, and RCN cable.  The AFL was unable to come to a deal with ESPN for continued coverage on their outlets.  Coverage will be two live matches per week typically (will vary occasionally) plus all finals live. The AFL Winners weekly highlight show will be available on FSP also. AFANA will post more detailed schedules in the next few days and update all of our TV pages to reflect this change in coverage. (TV pages have been updated)  Canadian TV coverage will remain on TSN2 with one live match per week.  (Addendum: 03/23/12: MHz has confirmed they will continue coverage this season with games on Monday nights at 10:00 PM EDT, repeated on Saturdays at 4:00 AM EDT.  Matches will be edited to 2 hrs and they will not carry the highlights programs ("AFL Winners") this season on Saturdays. Also, FSP on some Time Warner systems which offer the Sports Pass package of channels,  FSP will be just $5.99 -- price may vary slightly in some areas.)

ESPN2 and ESPN3 in the USA will carry the Grand Final between Collingwood and Geelong LIVE on Friday night / Saturday morning, September 30th / October 1st.  US coverage on ESPN3.com will begin at 8:00 PM EDT Friday including most pre-match festivities; Coverage will continue until 4:00 AM EDT Saturday concluding after the awards ceremony.   ESPN2 will join the live coverage in progress with the pre-game at 12:00 MN (Midnight) EDT and continue until 3:30 AM EDT Saturday. First bounce is about 12:30 AM EDT. Canadian coverage on TSN (not TSN2) will be joined in progress at 1:30 AM EDT and run to 4:00 AM. The entire Grand Final will be repeated on delay on TSN at 11:30 AM on October 1st and conclude at 3:30 PM.   TSN.ca will have live coverage beginning at 11:30 PM EDT. through to 4:00 AM. (Canadian fans should press "read more" below and see our full info on this issue).  If you have no access to any of the preceding options, the game will be live on LiveAFL.tv.  If available to you, then you can signup at (removed- obsolete).  Fans should check our TV Schedule page for details on the coverage and our TV Info page for more information on ESPN3, ESPN2, TSN, TSN2, and TSN.ca.   For those looking for parties, see our listings on our Grand Final Party page.  We have a timeline of Grand Final Day events posted here.   (Note:  the only live coverage in North America is via these outlets and they are available nationally via cable and satellite services -- see our TV Info page.)

Pay TV provider Foxtel and its half-owner Telstra have emerged as the biggest winners of the new AFL domestic broadcast deal, as Channel Seven retains the free-to-air rights to the competition. For the first time since 1997, the primary broadcaster will not change. In the biggest media deal in Australian sporting history, Foxtel and country Pay-TV provider Austar have won the right to televise every game (except the Grand Final) live, while Seven has the right to broadcast a minimum of four matches each round during the regular season and the Grand Final live.

Major changes have been announced to the AFL weekly highlights programs and online coverage by the AFL.  Details were made available to AFANA in the past 24 hours.  (There are no other changes we are aware of besides what is reported here.)  The traditional AFL highlights programs have been replaced by a FOX Sports produced program called "AFL Winners" and the the online service previously provided by Aussie Sport TV (ASTV) has been replaced by LiveAFL.TV.  The new service is supposed to support platforms other than the Windows based PC's including Apple Mac's.  (We have not tested this as yet but there are at least two reports that it does work on Macs.)

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