ESPN2

The first live AFL match on ESPN2 will air this coming Saturday night / Sunday morning US time when Carlton v Hawthorn is aired by the network.  This surprise word has reached AFANA and we feel confident this will happen however we are seeking final confirmation of the schedule from ESPN (Ed. note: 5/17/10: ESPN now confirmed!) and the AFL and will revise this story when that is received.  The match coverage will begin at approximately 12:00 MN EDT Sunday 23 May running until 3:00 AM EDT.  Not since the early 1980's has an AFL match aired live on either of the two flagship networks of ESPN.   We expect the audience for this match may surpass last year's Grand Final on ESPN Classic as the most viewed AFL match in US history.  The match will also be available on ESPN3.com.

Fans are encourage to watch this web site for any future updates and to get the word out.  The more fans who watch this match and the higher the ratings the better for the future of live coverage on ESPN2.  Please send fans to this site for the facts and accurate information on any schedule changes.  If you plan a viewing party please let us know.  While we won't be doing full blown listings like we do for the Grand Final, we will compile any information sent to us and provide a summary listing.  (If you send a listing, please provide a contact phone number or e-mail address and a location [venue, city, state] or we will not include your listing.  Thanks.)  We will also be making updated info available in a more condensed form on our Twitter feed and Facebook page.  Links are to the right of this article. 

The 2010 season TV coverage for North America is finally becoming clear. For the most part, coverage will not be different than what was the case in August and September of last season. The primary US coverage will be via internet broadband on ESPN360.com. This is free if your ISP has a deal with ESPN [about 50% of US homes including internet providers Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, RCN, Insight, Frontier, Cavalier, Charter, Mediacom, Conway, Grande Communications, etc. It is also available at no cost to U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers connected to on-campus educational networks and on-base military networks].  We will be posting round by round schedules for virtually the entire AFL season shortly. Round 1 will have

Do Not Adjust Your Television Set (Here We Go Again!)

(Update: 09/21/09:  This story is no longer being updated.  See here)
(Update: 09/15/09: For our Canadian fans, TSN2 will carry the Grand Final live.)
(Update: 09/14/09: The Grand Final will be live on ESPN Classic and ESPN360. The AFL and ESPN have confirmed this. Coverage will begin just before bouncedown at 12:25 AM EDT and run until 3:30 AM EDT. We are still awaiting word on TSN for Canada.)
(Update: 09/10/09:  We are in on-going communication with the AFL and monitoring progress on this issue.  We are guardedly optimistic a positive resolution will be found.  However, if things do not move forward very soon AFANA will not hesitate to tell you, the fan, what you can do to help get the Grand Final live.)  The current ESPN TV schedule shows that ESPN2 will air the AFL Grand Final at 2:00 AM EDT on Saturday, September 26, 2009.  The Grand Final will be edited for a two-hour window and will be delayed two hours.   For Canadians, at present TSN has not committed to any confirmed coverage at all.
 
We are in constant contact with the AFL about the situation.  The AFL international broadcasting staff in Melbourne is working with ESPN and "pushing for live."  The AFL will keep us posted with updates as they happen on that front.
 
We will continue to keep AFANA members and footy fans apprised of the situation, so stay tuned. Starting next week, we will provide some ideas as to what all footy fans in North America can and should do (whether it is to lobby ESPN, call local stations, make voodoo dolls, etc.) to see if we can get the a live broadcast of the game.
 
Thank you for your time.   Back to your regularly scheduled programming...

This article is out of date.  For info good in 2018 go to TV Info.

Begins with Round 19 for USA and Canada

For the first time since 1997, the Australian Football League will be on an ESPN network in North America.  Following the demise of the sport on Setanta, the AFL has struck a deal for live coverage on ESPN360, limited coverage on ESPN2, and for Canada, on TSN and TSN2.  AFANA worked closely