Rules · TV coverage · Must-follow
At least 81 games on free TV
BC-01Catalogue name: A minimum of free-to-air games
What it means
Across the whole season, at least 81 games must be shown on free-to-airTelevision anyone can watch without a subscription.Read more in the glossary television.
Why it exists
The TV deal promises the free-to-air broadcaster this many games. A fixture that gave it fewer would break the deal.
For example
If the slot stageOne of five steps that build the fixture: opponents, rounds, dates, home ground and venue, TV slot.Read more in the glossary only found 80 games for free TV, the fixture would fail this rule and have to be reworked.
How strictly it applies
Must-follow The fixture must obey this rule. A separate checker tests the finished fixture afterwards.
Must-follow. The program is not allowed to produce a fixture with fewer than 81 free-to-air games, and an independent checker counts them afterwards. The figure is the current broadcast dealThe 2025 to 2031 television rights agreement. Its promises are the BC-numbered rules.Read more in the glossary as reported.
Where to see it
Prime-time games shows how this plays out across the season.
How it played out across versions
One cell per release, oldest first. Each shows the verdict that release recorded for this rule; a release with no row for the rule says so.
- Preview 13 September2027 · Generated
Off, switched off by these settings
no checker yet
- Preview 14 September (seed 42)2027 · Generated
Off, switched off by these settings
no checker yet
- Repeat-qualified (seed 42)2027 · Generated
Off, switched off by these settings
no checker yet
- Corrected (seed 43)2027 · Generated
Off, switched off by these settings
no checker yet
- Rules release (seed 43)2027 · Generated
Off, switched off by these settings
no checker yet
- B009 nominal (seed 43)2027 · Generated
Off, switched off by these settings
no checker yet
- B010 nominal (weight 0.10)2027 · Generated
Met, met
- B011 nominal2027 · Generated
Met, met
- B012 Wednesday opening2027 · Generated
Met, met
- 20252025 season as played2025 · As played
This version has no recorded result for this rule.
First checked independently in TV slots added, 18 Sep 2026.
Related
For analysts: catalogue text and codes
- Rule id
BC-01- Catalogue text
- Minimum 81 FTA games per season on Seven/7plus.
- Catalogue type
- Hard / contract
- Catalogue family
- Broadcast Rights Constraints (2025–2031 Deal)
- Class
hard· The fixture must never break it.- Step
S4· Step 5: TV slot- Recorded status
met· source rowevaluated- Catalogue reason
- A commitment in the broadcast deal.