AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan jetted off to the United States of America on Monday night as the league looks to complete its next media rights deal.
The current deal with Fox Footy and Channel Seven concludes in 2024 after it was last extended in 2020, and McLachlan has left the country with AFL broadcasting boss Travis Auld and the league’s general counsel Andrew Dillon.
The Age’s Sam McClure revealed late last week that streaming companies Amazon and Paramount were both showing interest in bidding for the rights beyond 2024.
The league has confirmed the trip to the US is in regard to the AFL’s broadcast arrangements.
The AFL’s commercial and customer executive Kylie Rogers is the acting AFL CEO.
McLachlan has flagged his upcoming resignation at the end of the year, suggesting earlier this month that completing the next TV rights deal was part of the agenda before the end of his tenure.
That could then fund the new collective bargaining agreements for both male and female players, with the current CBA expiring at the end of 2022.
The Age reports that after the first five rounds Channel Seven’s ratings for the AFL are down 18 per cent compared to five years ago, while Fox Footy’s numbers are down 13 per cent.
Auld, Dillon and Rogers are all thought to be among the favourites to take over the league’s top job when McLachlan stands down.