The AFL has announced what it calls a landmark agreement to broadcast matches live into China. AFL chief Andrew Demetriou was joined by Victorian Premier John Brumby on Wednesday as he made the announcement at Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium.
The Shanghai Media Group will televise one AFL match every week live into China on International Channel Shanghai.
The agreement will include the 2010 finals series and the Shanghai Showdown between Melbourne and the Brisbane Lions in Shanghai on October 17.
It will extend into the 2011 AFL Premiership season to include one AFL match each week.
“The AFL is very excited to showcase Australian football to one of the world’s biggest markets as we continue to develop the code on the international stage,” Demetriou said.
The AFL has also launched a development program in Shanghai schools to teach young children the basics of the game and recently launched a Mandarin language website, www.51afl.com.au.
Brumby boasted the agreement was a tremendous coup.
“(It’s an) opportunity for Victoria and will further strengthen links with our major trading partner and our friends in China,” he said.
© AAP 2012Recommend this story.
The Turkey 10
The Turkey 10 teams have now been selected, as Wild Turkey Bourbon's sport sponsorship kicks into the next exciting phase.
Choose which side you're going to support and get in the running to win $2,500!
Simply visit Wild Turkey Australia on Facebook for your chance to win.
Find out more.
- Explore:
- AFL, Andrew Demetriou
August 27th 2010 @ 8:51am
Joel said | August 27th 2010 @ 8:51am | Report comment
This site has very inconsistent moderation. As far as I can tell nobody has abused anyone or said anything legally dubious so why remove a chunk of posts? Why remove my comment and allow these other critical posts to remain? I only made the observation that AFL’s international excursions attract negative attention from supporters of other codes because it potentially weakens their marketing advantage, what on earth is wrong with that?
Besides, spirited debate is part of the attraction of this site, and sport as well for that matter. If you want people to be passive observers with only neutral views then perhaps the ability to comment should be removed altogether.
August 27th 2010 @ 9:11am
JF said | August 27th 2010 @ 9:11am | Report comment
The comments were going well until you posted a code war comment, no one had said anything negative – it was you who brought it up. Paranoid much?
August 27th 2010 @ 4:55pm
Joel said | August 27th 2010 @ 4:55pm | Report comment
You’re wrong. I preempted the negative comments was subsequently proved right. I don’t know why people care about ‘code wars’ arguments so much, is it really such a big deal? Personally I find it all a bit of laugh, but then I guess I have it easier being an AFL supporter. It’s all page views anyway.
August 27th 2010 @ 3:01pm
Beast-A-Tron said | August 27th 2010 @ 3:01pm | Report comment
Joel, I’ve had posts deleted when I’ve attacked the credibility of certain articles, and the competence of said authors.
Sometimes the authors (or perhaps the mods?) can be precious princesses; can’t handle a little criticism.
August 27th 2010 @ 5:00pm
Joel said | August 27th 2010 @ 5:00pm | Report comment
I can understand deleting posts like what I described above, but it’s ridiculous when you can say ‘x’ in one article and ‘x’ in another and have one deleted while the other remains. Or even worse, when someone else says ‘x’ in response to the same article and it stays put. For example, the comment by JF above is arguably more offensive in it’s sheer lack of wit in the attempt to insult than anything I wrote.
August 27th 2010 @ 5:12pm
Mister Football said | August 27th 2010 @ 5:12pm | Report comment
Let’s not forget that the Age reported this exactly one month ago, their soccer reporter, Dan Silkstone wrote:
The Age understands the breakthrough in negotiations was helped by the visit to Australia in June of Chinese vice-president Xi Jinping. As well as meeting in Canberra with then prime minister Kevin Rudd, the Chinese politician regarded as an eventual successor to president Hu Jintao travelled to Melbourne and was entertained at the Carlton-Fremantle game as a guest of Premier John Brumby and AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick – a man with whom he was familiar due to Fitzpatrick’s role as a director of mining giant Rio Tinto.
The Chinese leader reportedly enjoyed the spectacle and was sufficiently impressed by the AFL pitch that doors opened to the league and its product in China.
The AFL is taking a long-term approach to the Chinese market but is serious about its attempt to make inroads.
It has employed a full-time development officer in China this year and recently launched a Mandarin language website, http://www.51afl.com, promoting the Shanghai game and explaining the sport to a Chinese audience.
The website attracted 12,000 hits during its first week, with 10,000 of those coming from inside mainland China.
A crowd of at least 10,000 is expected for the October match.
August 27th 2010 @ 5:24pm
Norm said | August 27th 2010 @ 5:24pm | Report comment
How much money have the rights been sold for?
August 27th 2010 @ 5:27pm
Mister Football said | August 27th 2010 @ 5:27pm | Report comment
As the quote says above, “the AFL is taking a long term approach” – so most probably it’s been given away for nothing or next to nothing.
With a billion dollar deal round the corner, the AFL doesn’t really need the money – they can afford to give the rights away to overseas broadcasters for a good while yet.
August 28th 2010 @ 1:36pm
Norm said | August 28th 2010 @ 1:36pm | Report comment
What one pays for something reflects how much value one attaches to that something.
August 28th 2010 @ 1:44pm
Mister Football said | August 28th 2010 @ 1:44pm | Report comment
And the value right now to the Chinese broadcaster would be next to nothing – that’s hardly a revelation.
August 28th 2010 @ 1:49pm
Norm said | August 28th 2010 @ 1:49pm | Report comment
Chinese broadcaster and Chinese people.
August 28th 2010 @ 1:53pm
Mister Football said | August 28th 2010 @ 1:53pm | Report comment
As Australians, we should all be supportive anytime a small Australian firm tries to generate a bit of export income
August 28th 2010 @ 2:48pm
JF said | August 28th 2010 @ 2:48pm | Report comment
Small Australian firm?
The AFL is a well funded, cold, calculating, evangelical machine. Pretty sure we are not bound by some duty as Australian to support the little AFL battler.
August 28th 2010 @ 3:16pm
Norm said | August 28th 2010 @ 3:16pm | Report comment
Actually JF I think describing AFL as a small Australian firm says it all.
August 28th 2010 @ 6:50pm
Mister Football said | August 28th 2010 @ 6:50pm | Report comment
We should all be supportive of any Australian firm trying to sell its uniquely Australian product to overseas market.
At the end of the day it represents improved export earnings for Australia and that’s good for the economy – benefitting us all.
August 27th 2010 @ 5:32pm
Art Sapphire said | August 27th 2010 @ 5:32pm | Report comment
Correction MF, Dan would like to remind you that he is a capable sports journalist.
At the moment he’s been busy covering the Comm Games and the AFL for The Age.
August 27th 2010 @ 5:36pm
Norm said | August 27th 2010 @ 5:36pm | Report comment
Art, it suits Mr Foney to categorize Dan as a soccer reporter.
August 27th 2010 @ 5:44pm
beaver fever said | August 27th 2010 @ 5:44pm | Report comment
I think you will find that Dan Silkstone is a soccer fan more than a Australian Football one.
BTW Norm + Phobic comment, you can bank on it.
August 28th 2010 @ 2:18pm
BigAl said | August 28th 2010 @ 2:18pm | Report comment
I don’t understand why anyone should get upset by all this ? – the worst it could do is bring a smile to your face.
August 30th 2010 @ 9:13am
beaver fever said | August 30th 2010 @ 9:13am | Report comment
Even “before the game” now has a chinese version/franchise, i thought the chinese Sam Lane was quite good looking, especially when she was holding the drill.