Early Thursday nights on free TV

What it means

Every Thursday-night game in the first fifteen rounds is shown on free-to-air (show definition)free-to-airTelevision anyone can watch without a subscription.Read more in the glossary television.

Why it exists

The TV deal moved some free-to-air coverage from Saturdays to Thursday nights (show definition)Thursday nightThe week's first game. The 2027 model has 24 of them, plus one Wednesday night on the 17 March calendar.Read more in the glossary, and promised those early-season Thursday games to free TV.

How strictly it applies

Must-follow The fixture must obey this rule. A separate checker tests the finished fixture afterwards.

Must-follow. The round limit of fifteen is the current broadcast deal (show definition)broadcast dealThe 2025 to 2031 television rights agreement. Its promises are the BC-numbered rules.Read more in the glossary as reported, carried into 2027 as a labelled assumption.

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.

First checked independently in TV slots added, 18 Sep 2026.

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