Channel 7 axes long-standing footy show as Brownlow Medallist brands it a ‘sad day’
- Channel 7 has made some big changes to their AFL coverage for 2025
- One TV programme, which has been running for seven years, has now been cancelled
A former AFL star has spoken of his heartbreak after Channel 7 opted to cancel a long-standing footy show for the 2025 season.
The Armchair Experts will not continue next year, with co-host Adam Cooney set to make the reveal SEN breakfast Tuesday morning that the show would be canceled.
“Who would have thought that show wouldn’t last forever? It’s a sad day. The Armchair Experts are no more,” the former Western Bulldogs star said while appearing on the radio station.
It comes amid the massive media shake-up that has taken place across the Australian sports broadcasting landscape in recent months.
As rival networks battle to produce the best coverage, Channel 7 has called up Kane Cornes and Caroline Wilson, plucking the pair from Channel Nine.
Elsewhere, Mark Robinson recently announced he would be stepping down from his role on AFL360, while Garry Lyon would join Gerard Whateley on the footy talk show.
Footy great Adam Cooney has announced that Channel Seven has axed his and Cam Luke’s show The Armchair Experts
Cooney and Luke (left and right) have been presenting the show for seven years, but it will end in 2025
Brownlow Medalist Cooney joked that he had become a victim of the massive media furor in Australian broadcasting
Craig Hutchison and Nick Riewoldt have also joined Seven, while rumors are also swirling that Dustin Martin is set to establish himself in the broadcasting landscape after meeting Fox Footy powerbrokers for a coffee in recent weeks.
However, one program will be absent from next season, with Cooney looking back on his journey, alongside co-host Cam Luke from The Armchair Experts.
‘Seven years. We started digitally. We started on Twitter and eventually we were allowed to broadcast,” he said.
“I’m just a victim of some of my colleagues here (at SEN) coming in and taking the money,” Cooney joked.
Several panellists have joined the show over the years, including Georgie Parker and Tommy Sheridan.
While Cooney and Luke’s show is being axed, Seven has announced several new shows for the 2025 season.
The network is commissioning a new Netflix-style documentary called Full Sweat, which will take fans behind the scenes of the lead-up to the 2025 season.
Cornes and Riewoldt will appear on The Agenda Setters to talk about everything over several evenings, while Hamish McLachlan will host a new interview show called Unfiltered.
Kane Cornes is one of several footy broadcasters to join Channel Seven for the 2025 season
“The 2024 AFL season was extraordinary. A year for the ages, but we’re even more excited about what lies ahead in 2025,” said Chris Jones, Network Director of Sport for Channel 7.
“We felt it was time to do things differently, to prepare for our new and younger audience, and we have welcomed some new faces to help us reset the AFL media landscape for good.
“New recruits including Kane Cornes, Nick Riewoldt and others will join our established commentary team. They make us more dynamic and determine our strategy to offer football seven days a week.
“One of the first things we discovered was that if we wanted to be the home of soccer, we had to fill the supply and create the best soccer programs in the country.
‘From Monday to Friday there is AFL content to watch or stream every evening on Seven and 7plus Sport.
“So, with more nights of football programming throughout the 2025 AFL premiership season, and live match broadcasts streaming for the first time on 7plus Sport, there has never been a more exciting time for AFL fans.”