Free-to-air television networks to suffer as audience-pulling sports off the schedule due to coronavirus

It is no exaggeration to say the AFL and the NRL are fighting for their lives after both codes made the dramatic decision to call off their seasons in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Key points: Sports events lead the free-to-air ratings, with the first rugby league State of Origin match topping the list last year Nine and Seven have both committed more than $10 million a week to broadcast major football codes Media advertiser Ian Warner says the postponement of the Olympics will hit Seven's bottom line Both are part of a group of leading sports that are going cap in hand to the Government for help. Neither sport seems likely to emerge from the coronavirus crisis unscathed and nor do the free-to-air television networks who keep them afloat — Seven, which screens the AFL, and Nine, which has the NRL. The suspensions will also affect Foxtel's Fox Sports channel, which already announced redundancies in its news division last week, reportedly due to soft advertising revenue rather than coronavirus. "Nine was committed to something like $13 million a week to pay for the NRL, Seven was committed to $15-16 million a week to pay for the AFL," Mr Cox said.