As reported by Fairfax Media, Seven has come to terms with the AFL to go head-to-head with Channel Nine Thursday night NRL games on 12 occasions each home-and-away season.

However, Channel Seven will not televise four games every weekend, with Foxtel expected to take the spare Saturday afternoon games televised when there is no Thursday night fixture. Seven will also televise all public holiday games as part of its premium package and hold the right to Good Friday football should it eventuate.

Under the new deal Seven would continue to televise Friday night and Saturday night games, as well as the Sunday afternoon game currently starting at 3.20pm. But on the occasions when there was no Thursday night football that extra game would be scheduled on Saturday afternoon and probably televised on pay TV.

With the NRL announcing its bombshell new four-year free-to-air agreement with Channel Nine last week, stunned and disappointed News Corporation chiefs have appeared determined to reach a deal with the AFL. News chief Rupert Murdoch met McLachlan in Sydney last week, with McLachlan and the AFL's bankers running negotiations over the weekend.

Unless Channel Ten becomes involved by the on-selling of a Saturday afternoon game to the former AFL free-to-air broadcaster there would be marginally more games on pay television in the new agreement. But it is understood that Seven would continue to televise all finals and could also buy exclusive rights to the Brownlow Medal count.