7mate is an Australian free-to-air digital television multichannel, which was launched by the Seven Network on 25 September 2010.[1][2] The channel contains sport and regular programs aimed primarily to a male audience,[3] with programming drawn from a combination of new shows, American network shows and other shows previously aired on its sister channels Seven, 7two and 7flix.[1]
Due to the rebroadcast of 7HD on 10 May 2016, 7mate was reduced to a standard definition broadcast in Melbourne and Adelaide. Sydney, Brisbane and Perth instead received a HD simulcast of 7mate until December 2016,[4][5][6] with breakaway programming used from that point to broadcast AFL matches in HD while keeping 7HD as the primary channel simulcast.[7]
History
The channel began airing as a separate channel on 25 September 2010, replacing 7HD as the Seven Network's only high-definition channel.[1][8] The channel's first program was the 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 allowed upcoming AFL matches to be broadcast in HD in all markets.[4][5]
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.[9] 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.[6] This change was not reverted, with Seven instead using breakaway programming on 7HD to broadcast AFL matches on 7mate in HD.[7]
In October 2019, Seven promised 7mate would switch to HD by 2020.[10] On 29 December 2019, it was later revealed that a HD simulcast of 7mate would replace 7food network from 16 January 2020.
On 10 July 2020, 7mate unveiled their new logo for the first time since its launch in 2010, effectively making it in line with Seven and 7two, which only used one colour in both of their logos. The outlining from the logo was removed and the word "mate" is now in a different font.
On 6 July 2022, 7mate HD relaunched in Seven Regional areas.
On 30 November 2022, 7mate SD (Channel 73) went off the air. Going to this version of 7mate would show a message to watch on Channel 74 (7mate HD), also mentioning people might need to re-scan their TV. Two weeks later on 14 December 2022, the 7mate retune placeholder disappeared.[11]
Programming
The channel is targeting a demographic of 15- to 55-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.
On 29 February 2016, 7mate removed all children's programming from its schedule and it was moved to another digital channel 7flix and this programming block was replaced with lifestyle fishing shows.
7mate's local production Bogan Hunters premiered to the channel's highest ratings for a non-sport program on 13 May 2014.[15]
On 28 February 2018, 7mate started airing The Simpsons every Wednesday night after Network Ten had the rights to the show through Fox Corporation since 1991. The Simpsons, Family Guy and American Dad! have been moved to Thursday nights, since October 2023.
Futurama was also added to 7mate in 2019, returning to the Seven Network as part of a deal with FOX and after a long absence since its final broadcast on Seven in 2004. It has since been removed from the schedule and moved to Disney+.
It was announced on 28 April 2011 that, from 2012 to 2016, 7mate would air a minimum of four live AFL matches each round into the NSW/ACT and Queensland markets,[16] thus going head-to-head with the Nine Network's NRLlive 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.
During the AFL season, the Supercars Championship airs on 7mate in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth if there are AFL matches being televised at the same time.
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.[19]
7mate would 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 15 June 2014, it was announced by Reggie Bush on Sunrise that the Seven Network had agreed to a five-year deal to broadcast the NFL. That deal was extended for another three years in 2022. Under the new deal, the network's live and free coverage deal will continue across the 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons.[20]
Since 2015, 7mate has been used to continue Seven's coverage of sport when the main Seven channel breaks for its nightly news bulletin such as with the Australian Opentennis (until 2018) or cricket (from 2019).
Seven, and by extension 7Mate, is the new free-to-air home of cricket in Australia in conjunction with Foxtel. This ended Nine's famous 45-year run as the exclusive Cricket broadcaster and also this ended Ten's famous 5-year run as the exclusive Big Bash League broadcaster. The network will televise all Men's international tests matches, 43 Big Bash League Matches, all women's Internationals and 23 Women's Big Bash League Matches. The six-year deal starts in 2018/19 and runs until 2023/24.
7mate is available in standard definition in metropolitan areas through Seven Network owned-and-operated stations: ATN Sydney, HSV Melbourne, BTQ Brisbane, SAS Adelaide and TVW Perth. Additionally in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, 7mate is simulcast in high definition via breakaway programming for the AFL on 7HD. Seven-owned STQQueensland broadcasts 7mate in HD only as it does not carry 7mate in SD.
Regional affiliates continue to broadcast 7mate as a standalone multichannel in high definition; GWN7 (now merged with Seven) in regional and remote areas of Western Australia, where 7mate is broadcast on logical channel number 63.[21]QQQ in Remote Eastern & Central Australia also broadcasts 7mate as a standalone multichannel in high definition on channel 70. Prime7 (now merged with Seven) in most regional areas of NSW/ACT, Victoria and the Gold Coast Region of Queensland has broadcast 7mate in standard definition on channel 63 since launching Prime7 HD on channel 60. Southern Cross Television also broadcasts 7mate in standard definition through GTS/BKN Spencer Gulf/Broken Hill on channel 63, TNT Tasmania and TND Darwin on channel 73 since launching Southern Cross HD on channel 60 and 70 respectively.
Following the launch, the logo used the generic Seven logo in a blue colour scheme, with the word "mate" being added next to it and a black outline was also included as well. It was announced on 16 December 2019 that 7mate would go HD on 16 January 2020, following the closure of 7food network.
On 10 July 2020, just 15 days before 7's multichannel rebrand, 7mate unveiled their new logo for the first time since the channel begin transmission in 2010. The outlining from the logo was removed and the word "mate" is now in a different font.
25 September 2010 – 9 July 2020
10 May 2016 – 16 December 2016 16 January 2020 – 9 July 2020
.svg){kind=small}
