The AFL are considering whether they should shift the start time of one of their Saturday afternoon fixtures to all it to be shown live on free-to-air television.
With the current media rights deal in effect until 2022, a clause in Foxtel's end of the contract allowing the subscrpition television company to effectively sell 22 matches per season - one a week - to a free-to-air network.
The fixture time that is most likely to be moved would be either the 1.45pm or 2.10pm clash on a Saturday, which could be pushed back until around 3pm to allow for free-to-air viewers.
"The Saturday afternoon game in question (game three on fixture) can be played in any period between 1.45pm and 3.10pm Eastern time, so it can move anywhere in that timeslot for a free-to-air provider to show live," an AFL spokesperson told AFL.com.au.
Foxtel remained extremely coy about the possibility, telling AFL.com.au they "have no plans to sub-licence any of its AFL matches next season."
This season, with the new deal in place for the first time, no Saturday afternoon matches were broadcast free-to-air in Victoria, despite there being a number of marquee match-ups that would have been perfect for the time-slot.
For stations like Channel Nine and Channel Ten, a 3.10pm start would lead straight into the 6pm news, which could be a ratings winner for the network.
While Foxtel have said they have no plans for selling any of its matches, the deal does not run out until the end of the 2022 season, meaning it could certainly happen before then.
