Why Channel 7 would "love" an AFL night Grand Final

The annual debate around the AFL Grand Final start time at the MCG will continue until it changes.

Chris Jones, the director of sport at Channel 7, says his network would absolutely love a night Grand Final given the ratings would explode.

Jones insists talks are ongoing with the AFL about shifting it from a day game to a later start, with Channel 7’s preference a night time slot.

He indicated that the realistic next step will be a twilight start in Melbourne.

“I can’t speak for them (the AFL), what I can say is that we have constant dialogue with them,” Jones said on SEN Breakfast.

“Clearly we’d love a night Grand Final. I think we’re headed towards a twilight Grand Final, hopefully.

“I think you’ve just got to look at the numbers of the NRL Grand Final this year. It was the perfect setup for them with Brisbane and Melbourne big into this market here in prime time.

“There’s no doubt the audience is much more significant. I’ve debated this a lot with Caro (Caroline Wilson) and the likes who are more the traditionalists.

“The more people we can bring the better. I’ve got a nine and a 12-year-old at home and I know it’s more difficult the later it gets.

“But hopefully we transition to a twilight Grand Final.”

Are the ratings for a twilight or night game undisputed?

Jones says they simply don’t compare to a day game and that is why Channel 7 is so intent on pushing for a later Grand Final.

“If we put it at twilight it will rate better,” he said.

“If we put it at night it will rate even better again.

“It’s definitely something that we’re talking to them (the AFL) about and we’ve lobbied them on.

“But when you look at the fixture as a whole, what we get with the prime time qualifying finals, prelim finals etcetera is unreal.

“We’d love to push for that twilight Grand Final as soon as possible.”

Ahead of the 2026 AFL fixture coming out next week, Jones touched on the priorities the network has when it comes to scheduling and programming

“Thursday night is the absolute priority for us,” Jones said

“That will take us all the way to the Commonwealth Games in late July which is awesome.

“The other one that has really unlocked for us is Sunday night footy. Sunday night is the highest rating day of the week. So clearly to put live sport into that slot is critical for us moving forward.

I think we’ve done a really good job with the AFL of identifying those public holiday weekends in different states and trying to schedule Sunday night matches on those days.”