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Fox Footy

{{short description|Australian subscription television channel}}

{{About|the Aussie rules television channel|the original channel that was broadcast between 2002 and 2006|Fox Footy Channel|the association football channels in the United States|Fox Soccer|and|Fox Soccer Plus|Fox Football Channel, the defunct association football channel in Southeast Asia|Fox Sports (Southeast Asian TV network)#Former channels}}

{{Use Australian English|date=January 2018}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}

{{Infobox television channel

| name = Fox Footy

| logo = Fox Footy logo (2015).svg

| logo_size = 200px

| logo_alt = Fox Footy Logo

| logo_caption = Fox Footy Logo

| launch_date = 17 February 2012

| closed_date =

| picture_format = 576i (SDTV)
1080i (HDTV)
2160p (UHDTV)

| country = Australia

| audience share =

| language = English

| headquarters = Melbourne

| sister_channels = Fox Sports News
Fox Cricket
Fox League
Fox Netball
Fox Sports

| parent = Foxtel

| website = [http://www.foxsports.com.au foxsports.com.au]

| online_serv_1 = Foxtel Go

| online_chan_1 = Channel 504

| online_serv_2 = Kayo Sports

| online_chan_2 = Channel 504

}}

Fox Footy (stylised as FOX FOOTY) is an Australian rules football subscription television channel dedicated to screening Australian rules football matches and related programming. It is owned by Fox Sports Australia operated out of its Melbourne based studios and available throughout Australia on Foxtel, and Optus Television. The channel is a revival of the former Fox Footy Channel, which was in operation between 2002 and 2006. The channel recommenced prior to the 2012 AFL season after a new broadcast agreement was reached between the former Premier Media Group, Austar, Foxtel and the Australian Football League (AFL).{{Cite web|url=https://www.frostglobal.com/?p=646|title=Every game, every week…live|first=Frost|last=Global|date=28 April 2011}}

As of the week of 24 September 2023, the channel reached 753,000 viewers, making the highest rated channel owned by Fox Sports Australia and the second highest rated subscription channel on Foxtel behind Lifestyle.{{Cite web |title=Viewing Reports - 2023 |url=http://oztam.com.au//Archives.aspx?Year=2023 |access-date=2023-10-21 |website=OzTAM}}

History

Foxtel had previously operated the original Fox Footy Channel from 2002 to 2006, but closed the channel when Foxtel's AFL broadcast deal ended at the end of the 2006 season after failing to agreeing at the time a new agreement with free-to-air broadcasters Seven and Ten. On 8 February 2007, Foxtel came to an agreement to broadcast four games a week from 2007 to 2011, up from three during 2002–2006 on Fox Sports channels, although it didn't include an AFL channel.

It was announced on 28 April 2011 that the channel would be revived for the 2012 AFL season, as part of the new broadcast rights deal that gave Foxtel rights to show all regular-season AFL matches live. The channel returned exclusively on Foxtel and its broadcasting partners, under the proposed new name of "Fox Sports AFL",[http://www.foxtel.com.au/whats-on/foxtel-insider/foxtel-to-deliver-every-afl-game-live-via-dedicated-fox-spor-124760.htm FOXTEL to Deliver Most Comprehensive Live AFL Coverage Ever] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120103051536/http://www.foxtel.com.au/whats-on/foxtel-insider/foxtel-to-deliver-every-afl-game-live-via-dedicated-fox-spor-124760.htm |date=3 January 2012 }} which was later changed back to its original name "Fox Footy". The channel relaunched at 5:00 pm AEDT on Friday 17 February 2012 with the first NAB Cup round-robin match between Hawthorn, Richmond and North Melbourne.

Fox Footy has live broadcast rights to all Marsh Community Series matches, all AFLW home and away matches, all AFLW Finals matches including the Grand Final, all AFL home and away matches and all AFL Finals matches until the AFL Grand Final which is shown on delayed with the game being screened exclusively live on Seven. All matches are broadcast live to air in High Definition and 4K Ultra HD with no commercial breaks during play. When two live matches are being played simultaneously, Fox Sports 503 broadcasts one of the matches.

From the start of the 2012 AFL season, Fox Footy had become the most watched Pay-TV network in Australia.{{cite web |url=http://oztam.com.au/documents/2012/OzTAM-20120408-A1MetTTVShrCons.pdf |title=Consolidated Metropolitan Total TV Share of All Viewing |access-date=6 May 2012 |archive-date=19 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130419215517/http://oztam.com.au/documents/2012/OzTAM-20120408-A1MetTTVShrCons.pdf |url-status=dead }} In 2017, the AFL preliminary finals had 556,000 and 441,000 viewers.[https://tvtonight.com.au/2018/02/2017-tv-the-final-word.html 2017 TV: the final word] - TV Tonight, 2 February 2018 Beginning in 2020, Fox Footy and more Fox Sports Australia channels began carried in Canada on the premium streaming service DAZN.

In 2018 Fox Sports commissioned the Andrews Hubs in Sydney and Melbourne{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsvideo.org/2018/01/24/nep-australia-test-proves-out-andrews-hub-workflow/|title=NEP Australia Test Proves Out Andrews Hub Workflow|date=24 January 2018}} allowing Fox Footy to produce matches at stadiums around the country from its base in South Melbourne.

The 2022 season saw some changes to the channel, with the network cutting ties with Eddie McGuire and the subsequent launch of two new programs, 'Best on Ground' and 'Face to Face' in addition to a time slot change for On the Couch. The network was rocked by further public interest during Round 1 after the termination of senior reporter Tom Morris after derogatory comments made against a colleague in a private chat were leaked publicly.

The 2025 season saw Foxtel have their own commentary teams and graphics on all matches for the first time, for the 2025 - 2031 seasons.

  • Foxtel and its streaming service Kayo would broadcast every match of the season outside of the grand final, and would utilise its own commentary teams and graphics for all matches for the first time; another Foxtel streaming service, Binge, would also simulcast some matches and include other Foxtel football programs.
  • All Saturday matches outside of marquee matches would be exclusively live on Foxtel and Kayo for the first eight rounds of the season nationally, and are live & exclusive outside of marquee matches to Foxtel & Kayo in Victoria, Tasmania and Northern Territory throughout the home and away season.

Programming

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=Current Programs=

  • AFL Tonight (2016–present on Fox Sports News and Fox Footy)
  • AFL 360 (2010–2011 on Fox Sports, 2012–present on Fox Footy)
  • Midweek Tackle (2024-present)
  • On the Couch (2002–2006 on Fox Footy Channel, 2007–2011 on Fox Sports, 2012–present on Fox Footy)
  • Bounce (2007–2011 on Fox Sports, 2012–present on Fox Footy)
  • First Crack (2019–present)
  • Best On Ground (special one-off shows)
  • Face to Face (2022–present)
  • Trading Day (2018–present, post season)

=Former Programs=

  • AFL Insider (2010–2011 on Fox Sports, 2012 on Fox Footy)
  • The Club
  • Ed & Derm's Big Week In Footy
  • Eddie McGuire Tonight (2012)
  • The Hangar
  • The Recruit (2014–2016, also shown on Fox8)
  • The Supercoach Show
  • The Winners Rebooted (2015–2016 on Fox Footy)
  • League Teams (2002–2006 on Fox Footy Channel, 2007–2011 on Fox Sports, 2012–2017 on Fox Footy)
  • The Greatest (2017)
  • Up The Guts (2019)
  • On the Mark (2018–2019)
  • The Beep Test (2018–2019)
  • The Weekend Lowdown (2018)
  • Open Mike (2009–2011 on Fox Sports, 2012–2020 on Fox Footy)
  • Bob (2018–2019)
  • Saturday Stretch (2017–2021)
  • Speed Round (2020)
  • Dermie Delivers (2021)
  • Best On Ground (2022 as a weekly show){{col-break|width=50%}}

=Events=

==Games==

All AFL premiership matches are broadcast live, with no ads during game-play, excluding the AFL Grand Final and Brownlow Medal, which is shown delayed due to the Seven Network owning the exclusive broadcast rights. Most AFL Community Series matches are broadcast live.

==Special events==

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Personnel

File:Sarah Jones, Jonathan Brown and David King.jpg, Jonathan Brown and David King on-air in 2017|thumb|right|250px]]

Coverage of certain matches including Friday nights, public holidays and finals is picked up from the Seven Network. Fox Footy uses Seven's video feed for the actual match, including graphics and commentary, but all surrounding footage, including pre-match, post-match, and between quarters, is replaced with Fox Footy's own coverage of the match. As of 2025, Fox will have access to clean feeds of Seven's footage for such matches, allowing Fox Footy to use their own commentary, graphics, and breakaways in all matches.

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=Commentators=

Play-by-Play Callers

Special comments

Studio & Match day hosts

Reporters

=Hosts & contributors=

AFL 360

On the Couch

Bounce

First Crack

AFL Tonight

  • Kath Loughnan (Monday host)
  • Drew Jones (Tuesday host/reporter)
  • Cath Durkin (Wednesday host/reporter)
  • Isabella Leembrugen (Thursday/Friday host)
  • Jon Ralph (reporter)
  • David Zita (reporter)

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=Former=

The following are former commentators and panel show members

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Logo history

File:Fox Footy logo.svg|17 February 2012 – 25 February 2015

File:Fox Footy logo (2015).svg|26 February 2015 – present

Watch AFL

Outside of Australia, Fox Footy operates Watch AFL, a global streaming network. The network streams all games live, including the Grand Final, unlike its domestic counterpart, who broadcasts that game on delay.

See also

{{Portal|Television|Australia|Sports}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Official website|http://www.foxfooty.com.au/}}

{{News Corp Australia}}

{{Fox Sports}}

{{Sports television channels in Australia}}

{{Subscription television channels in Australia}}

{{Australian rules football in Australia}}

Category:Fox Sports (Australian TV network)

Category:Television channels and stations established in 2012

Category:2012 establishments in Australia

Category:English-language television stations in Australia

Category:Sports television networks in Australia

Category:Australian rules football mass media