7mate


7mate is an Australian free-to-air digital television multichannel, which was launched by the Seven Network on 25 September 2010. The channel contains sport and regular programs aimed primarily to a male audience, with programming drawn from a combination of new shows, American network shows and other shows previously aired on its sister channels Seven and 7two. As of December 2018, it is the number one multichannel free-to-air digital channel in Australia
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, with breakaway programming used from that point to broadcast AFL matches in HD while keeping 7HD as the primary channel simulcast.

History

The channel began airing as a separate channel on 25 September 2010, replacing 7HD as the Seven Network's only high-definition channel. 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.
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. This change was not reverted, with Seven instead using breakaway programming on 7HD to broadcast AFL matches on 7mate in HD.
In October 2019, Seven promised 7mate would switch to HD by 2020. 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.

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.
In 2012, the Seven Network introduced new weekday morning blocks of children's programming to air both 7two and 7mate. Branded as K-Zone, the 7mate block featured male-skewing Disney series such as Phineas and Ferb, , Pair of Kings and Zeke and Luther, while the 7two block aired female-skewing programs branded as Total Girl.
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.
On 29 February 2016, 7mate removes all children's programming and moves to another digital channel 7flix and this channel replaces 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.
On 28 February 2018, 7mate started airing The Simpsons every Wednesday night ending Network Ten after 27 years as part of a deal with the Fox Corporation.
Futurama was also added to 7mate in 2019, returning to the Seven Network as part of a deal with FOX and after a very, very long absence since its final broadcast in 2004.

Current programming

Adult animation

Adult animation

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 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 Supercars Championship 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.
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 Open tennis or cricket.
In August 2016, 7mate broadcast the 2016 Summer Olympics from Rio de Janeiro.
In April 2018, 7mate broadcast the 2018 Commonwealth Games from the Gold Coast.
The 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.

Availability

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 STQ Queensland remains broadcasting 7mate in HD only as it does not carry 7HD.
Regional affiliates continue to broadcast 7mate as a standalone multichannel in high definition; GWN7 in regional and remote areas of Western Australia, where 7mate is broadcast on logical channel number 63. QQQ in Remote Eastern & Central Australia also has broadcast 7mate as a standalone multichannel in high definition on channel 70. Prime7 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.

7mate HD

A full-time high definition simulcast of 7mate launched on 16 January 2020. The service broadcasts in 1080i HD in an MPEG-4 format on digital channel 74, replacing the previously-closed 7food network. The channel is available on the Seven Network's owned-and-operated stations ATN Sydney, HSV Melbourne, BTQ Brisbane, SAS Adelaide, TVW Perth and STQ Queensland.

Logo and identity history

Slogans