Sport back on regional TV as Seven and WIN reach deal

Seven and WIN have reached an eleventh hour deal that has seen Channel 7 programming return to a large part of regional Australia, just in time for this weekend’s AFL.

Channel 7, 7two, and 7mate stopped transmitting in The Riverland and Mount Gambier in South Australia, and Griffith in NSW on Tuesday, after the two networks failed to come to terms on a renewal for their longstanding broadcast agreement. WIN is Australia’s biggest regional TV network operator. Most of its broadcast content is supplied through deals with Nine, but it also carries Seven’s broadcast in some regions.

Seven holds the free-to-air broadcasting rights for numerous major sporting codes, including the AFL and test cricket. Although the Seven stations remained available to regional audiences through its digital streaming service, there were concerns about unreliable network coverage, and the additional cost of access.