Sports Media Report
SiriusXM announced today that it is adding Australian Football League programming to its sports lineup for the first time ever, featuring a new exclusive show hosted by Australian media icon Eddie McGuire, as well as play-by-play broadcasts of an AFL Match of the Week.
Aussie Football Rules America with Eddie McGuire will debut tonight, June 4th and will air every Thursday from 6:00-7:00 pm ET, on SiriusXM’s Dan Patrick Radio channel (ch. 211), recapping the previous week’s AFL action and looking ahead at the exciting matches in the weekend ahead.
McGuire is a household name in Australia as one of the most prominent media personalities in his home country. He has been deeply involved in Australian Rules Football throughout his life, from his days as a youth player and his first job as an Australian Rules Football statistician and reporter, to playing a leading role in his country’s sport today.
A passionate and devoted Collingwood fan since childhood, McGuire became one of the youngest Presidents in football when at 33 years of age he took over Australia’s most famous club at its lowest period in its history. Since then he has presided over Collingwood reclaiming its position as a powerhouse in Australian sport, both on and off the field, with the building of state of the art training facilities and being central to the rebuilding of the Melbourne Cricket Ground where Collingwood regularly plays in front of crowds of over 90,000 people. On the field Collingwood won the Grand Final of 2010 and has been to the big dance in 2002, 2003, 2010 (for a draw and a famous replay win), 2011 and 2018. Collingwood has also made the playoffs 12 times in that period.
McGuire was honored with the Australian Sports Medal for services to Australian Rules Football, the Centenary Medal for services to the Media and Football and the Order of Australia Medal AM for services to ‘Philanthropy and the Media.’ He is also a member of the MCG and AFL Media Hall of Fame.
“SiriusXM serves millions of fans and listeners across North America and I’m thrilled to be bringing our great sport to their sports lineup for the first time,” said McGuire. “There’s not a better platform for me to connect with Aussie Rules fans on the other side of the world, and to share the news of our sport as we get back into action this month. If you’re not fan of Aussie Footy yet, join us! You will be!”
McGuire is one of the country’s most watched and listened to TV and radio personalities. In addition to being a prominent Australian Rules commentator and host on Fox Sports and the Nine Network, he is host of the hugely popular The Hot Breakfast radio show in Melbourne, and weeknights hosts the Channel Nine program Millionaire Hot Seat, the Australian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? which he has done since 1999. McGuire has hosted and called Olympic Games, Formula One races, The Logie Awards (the Australian version of the Emmys) and numerous other major event television and radio shows throughout his career. He is also the former CEO of the Nine Network and is the Chairman of his own media production business.
“Eddie is an icon in sports and entertainment in Australia, and with his history in the sport and knowledge of the game, he’s the perfect host for our first show dedicated to Australian Rules Football,” said Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM President and Chief Content Officer. “Aussie Football Rules America will be entertaining and informative, and we’re very excited to present it along with AFL matches on our air for the first time. No matter where AFL fans are from, they can stay connected with the game and their teams. We look forward to introducing this great sport to more fans in North America.”
Immediately following Aussie Football Rules America, SiriusXM listeners will hear a special rebroadcast of the Australian Football League’s Match of The Week called by the number one AFL radio broadcast, Triple M (Southern Cross Austereo). The 2020 AFL season is set to resume on June 11 after it was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tonight listeners will hear the classic 2018 Grand Final match between the West Coast Eagles and the Collingwood Football Club.
“SiriusXM is the leading audio entertainment platform in the United States and to be able to take our game, Australian Rules Football to the millions of listeners via their sports programming is a partnership the AFL is proud to be a part of,” said Gillon McLachlan, AFL Chief Executive Officer. “We love our footy in Australia and look forward to sharing its passion with the audience in North America.”
Aussie Football Rules America with Eddie McGuire and AFL matches will air nationwide on SiriusXM’s exclusive Dan Patrick Radio channel, which is available on SiriusXM radios (channel 211), online at SiriusXM.com and on the SiriusXM app for connected devices and speakers.
The Australian Football League (AFL) is the pre-eminent competition of Australian Rules Football. The league consists of 18 teams spread over five of Australia’s six states competing in a 23-round regular (home-and-away) season. The team with the best record after the home-and-away series is awarded the “minor premiership.” The top eight teams then play off in a four-round finals series, culminating in the AFL Grand Final. For more on the AFL go to afl.com.au.
SiriusXM is now offering listeners its best streaming offer yet: Sign up to stream SiriusXM for 4 months free with a new subscription. To see offer details and to start listening on the SiriusXM app, on connected devices and smart speakers in your home, go to SiriusXM.com/HomeFree.
