The Tasmania Devils will join the AFL and AFLW as the competitions’ 19th team at the start of the 2028 season. This is the first new addition since the Greater Western Sydney Giants in 2012. Towards that, for season 2026, the ABC, Sports Entertainment Group (SEG) and the Seven Network are providing free and extensive radio and television coverage of the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Firstly, as this is the Tasmania Devils’ first VFL season since 2008, SEG has partnered with Seven for the TV production and media rights for all Devils home matches this season.
SEG’s TV arm, Rainmaker, will produce and provide all 10 home matches for the Devils on Seven Tasmania and 7plus Sport nationally. Listeners can hear all home and away matches on SEN Tasmania via SEN Tassie 1629am into Hobart, SENTrack 1611am into Launceston and Devonport, plus streaming on the SEN app.
The ABC have also partnered with the VFL meaning it will return free-to-air on ABC TV and ABC iview for the first time in 12 years as well as simulcast on ABC Listen plus AFL distribution channels.
ABC coverage will be led by Jason Bennett, one of Australia’s most recognisable football commentators. He will be joined by by Matt Clinch, Gemma Bastiani and Daniel Harford.
The ABC will broadcast one match each round of the VFL home and away season, along with one final in each of the first three weeks of the VFL Finals Series, both preliminary finals and the Grand Final.
ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks said:
“We’re delighted to partner with the VFL to deliver live action to footy fans of this foundational AFL competition. Australian football is at the heart of the nation’s sporting culture, and this deal gives us a fantastic opportunity to serve the Australian sporting community, bring live sport back to ABC TV and further strengthen our offering on ABC radio.”
SEG Chief Executive, Craig Hutchison, said:
“The Devils have already captured the hearts and imagination of Tasmanian and broader AFL fans alike. To team up with the Seven Network – the biggest TV platform in the Apple Isle, which already has a legion of footy fans who already enjoy their AFL coverage – means Tasmanians will have the perfect new home for the Devils matches and content.”
The Seven Network’s Commercial Director – Head of Sport, Renee Quirk, said:
“After waiting so long to see their team take the field, fans can finally cheer on the Devils each week and watch the next generation of Tasmanian talent in action, live and free on Seven and 7plus.
We look forward to working closely with SEN to bring every game of the side’s inaugural season to passionate viewers in Tasmania, while also making each match available nationally on 7plus so fans across the country can get behind the Devils and be part of the story from day one.”
And, on the wider VFL broadcast deal, AFL Executive General Manager of Finance, Broadcast and Infrastructure, Matthew Chun, said:
“We are thrilled to be expanding the broadcast coverage of the Smithy’s VFL. This a wonderful result and will bolster the exposure of the competition right across the country.
The new broadcast deal demonstrates our ongoing commitment to providing football fans with high-quality and accessible coverage and we look forward to working with Kayo SPORTS, ABC, the Seven Network and SEN to deliver an exciting product for all viewers.
We are delighted our existing AFL and AFLW broadcast partners in Kayo SPORTS, Seven and SEN have extended their coverage to the VFL and we are just as excited to expand our partnership with the ABC, who is an existing radio and international broadcast partner of the AFL.”
The VFL season commences on March 21.
Image from the Tasmania Football Club Facebook page.