Channel Seven has swooped and secured the rights to the popular E.J. Whitten Legends game, ending a 20-year relationship between the popular charity match and the rival Nine network.

The board of the E.J. Whitten Foundation met in Melbourne this week and decided to accept a lucrative cash offer from Seven for the rights to the match, a decision that will come as a blow for Nine and its embattled The Footy Show.

EJ Whitten Legends footy game in 2015.

Fairfax Media believes the AFL also intervened in negotiations to help assist Seven, which is the broadcast partner of the league.

The AFL has now scheduled the match on Friday, September 2 at Etihad Stadium, during the gap week between the home-and-away season and finals. Seven has agreed to a five-year deal, supporting a charity designed to raise awareness for prostate cancer research.