Network Seven Network Owned by Seven West Media Country Australia | Language English Founded 2010 | |
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Picture format 576i (SDTV) 16:9/4:3 (PAL)
1080i (HDTV) 16:9 (via 7HD; Sydney/Brisbane/Perth markets only during the AFL season) Slogan maaaaate / The Best Channel In The World Ever Broadcast area Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Regional QLD, Darwin, Tasmania, Regional VIC, Northern NSW, Southern NSW, ACT Sister channel(s) Seven
7HD
7TWO
7flix
Racing.com Motto maaaaate / The Best Channel In The World Ever Replaced 7HD (HD channel space; later relaunched in May 2016 in select cities and in the remaining cities in December 2016) TV shows Outback Truckers, Kinne, Bogan Hunters, Shannons Legends of Motorsport, Talking Footy Profiles | ||
7mate is an Australian free-to-air high definition digital television multichannel, which was launched by the Seven Network on 25 September 2010.
Contents
The network stated that 7mate would contain sport and regular programs aimed primarily to the "alpha male" audience (as reflected in the channel's slogan and ident), with programming drawn from a combination of new shows, American network shows and other shows previously aired on its sister channels Seven and 7TWO. The channel replaced 7HD as the Seven Network's only high-definition channel. The first program broadcast on 7mate was the drawn 2010 AFL Grand Final in high definition. Due to the rebroadcast of 7HD on 10 May 2016, 7mate was reduced to a standard definition broadcast only.
History
The channel began airing as a separate channel on 25 September 2010. The channel's first program was the drawn 2010 AFL Grand Final, which was simulcast with an SD broadcast on the Seven Network. Following AFL coverage, the channel began airing breakaway programming, with a promotional sneak peek of upcoming programming on 7mate. The first full program to air was an episode of That '70s Show.
Upon the revival of 7HD on 10 May 2016, 7mate was reduced to standard definition. 7HD became a HD simulcast of Seven's main channel in Melbourne and Adelaide, while it simulcast 7mate in Seven's other metropolitan markets. This configuration is so that upcoming AFL matches can be broadcast in HD in all markets.
7HD was temporarily changed to a simulcast of Seven's primary channel in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth on 5 August 2016 to allow the 2016 Summer Olympics to be broadcast in high definition in all capital cities; leaving 7mate in standard definition only. However, 7HD was reverted to its former state as a 7mate simulcast in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth on 22 August 2016 after the conclusion of the Olympics. On 16 December 2016, 7HD was shifted to a simulcast of Seven's primary channel in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth to allow the Summer of Tennis to be telecast in high definition in all capital cities; leaving 7mate in SD.
Programming
The channel is targeting a demographic of 16- to 49-year-old males, after the success of the Seven Network with 7TWO with females 35+ and 25+ demographics respectively. Programs aired on the channel are a mix of repeated shows that moved from the Seven Network or 7TWO, programs that would make their free-to-air debut and brand new shows to Australian television. Seven and 7TWO now target its 55+ demographic.
Shows that moved from other Seven channels include new seasons of Family Guy, American Dad! and The Amazing Race. Repeated seasons of Scrubs, Last Comic Standing, Air Crash Investigations, 30 Rock, That '70s Show, Lost and How I Met Your Mother also moved to 7mate. Mighty Ships, of which three episodes aired as one-off specials on the Seven Network, moved as a regular series to 7mate.
Programs making their free-to-air debut include Eastbound and Down, Monster Garage, Jersey Shore, Gene Simmons Family Jewels and Punk'd. Brand new series include The Equalizer, Warehouse 13 and Caprica. Additionally, the channel will feature a number of sporting events. From 2012, all AFL are broadcast live on 7mate in New South Wales, Australia and Queensland, Australia.
7mate's local production Bogan Hunters premiered to the channel's highest ratings for a non-sport program on 13 May 2014.
7mate also features films sourced from its studio-output deals, including Columbia Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, DreamWorks with Touchstone and Universal Pictures.
Current shows
Past shows
Preschool
It was announced on 28 April 2011 that, from 2012–2016, 7mate will air a minimum of four live AFL matches each round into the NSW/ACT and Queensland markets, thus going head-to-head with the Nine Network's NRL live coverage on Friday nights.
News
7mate airs Seven News updates that air on the main Seven channel and from 7TWO. All national news updates are across any state.
Sport
7mate televises live AFL coverage into New South Wales and Queensland, where rugby league is the more dominant sport, and Western Australia, due to the time difference. Some matches may be televised after midnight, or not shown at all, as the current AFL contract requires the local teams (i.e. Sydney Swans/Greater Western Sydney Giants and Brisbane Lions/Gold Coast Suns) to be televised live into their respective states. 7mate is also the exclusive broadcaster of the International Rules Series to Australian audiences.
Previously, prior to 2012, occasionally the V8 Supercars aired on 7mate if there was an AFL match that was televised at the same time. 7mate also televised some AFL matches live into Sydney and Brisbane, regardless of which teams were playing.
7mate also exclusively broadcast all matches of the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.
It was announced in November 2013 that 7mate have picked up the rights to televise the 2014 Hopman Cup, after Network Ten decided to discontinue its association with the event after three editions.
The 2013–14 LFL Australia season of Legends Football League aired on 7mate.
7mate will broadcast South Australian National Football League games from 2014 as part of the Seven Network's three-year deal to exclusively broadcast the SANFL. After being with the ABC since 1993, this marks the leagues return to commercial television for the first time in 22 years.
On June 15, 2014, it was announced by Reggie Bush on Sunrise that the Seven Network had agreed to a five-year deal to broadcast the NFL.
In August 2016, 7mate broadcast the 2016 Summer Olympic Games from Rio de Janeiro.
Availability
7mate is available in standard definition in metropolitan areas and regional Queensland through Seven Network owned-and-operated stations: HSV Melbourne, SAS Adelaide and STQ Queensland. Seven Network stations ATN Sydney, BTQ Brisbane and TVW Perth simulcast 7mate via the newly relaunched 7HD.
Regional affiliates continue to broadcast 7mate as a standalone multichannel in high definition; GWN7 in regional and remote areas of Western Australia and Prime7 in most regional areas of NSW/ACT, Victoria and the Gold Coast Region of Queensland, where 7mate is broadcast on logical channel number 63.
However, unlike Prime7, affiliate Southern Cross Television delayed the introduction of the channel to Tasmania and Darwin until 24 October 2010, due to required technical upgrades. It is currently broadcast on logical channel number 60 in Tasmania and 70 in Darwin.