https://wwos.nine.com.au/afl/afl-ed...-on-nine/38c193e2-7f8b-4ae6-8154-a7658434f437
Eddie McGuire announces new AFL shows to air on Nine
By Melanie Dinjaski
McGuire has been host of the AFL Footy Show since 1994, and now Nine is set to boost its AFL coverage with a shake-up he says is prompted by Thursday night AFL games during the season as well as Nine's broadcast of the Ashes and World Cup of Cricket next year.
He said there will be an 'exciting' new offering of AFL programs, including McGuire hosting 'specials' and a new mid-week show featuring Sam Newman, who recently secured a multi-year deal with Nine.
"Very few things are the same 25 years later," McGuire exclusively told
Wide World of Sports.
"There are completely different scheduling commitments with Channel Nine these days, so we're coming up with what we hope will be what people are looking for in the delivery of sports entertainment."
McGuire teased what the revamped mid-week show might look like.
"We've got the plans but we don't necessarily want to tell the world just yet what they are. We want to make the announcements in due course," McGuire said.
"We'll get some really good ideas for next year."
McGuire said they are still yet to do casting for the program, but more information would be revealed soon.
He was enthusiastic about hosting special event coverage during the season and 'loves' working with Newman.
"We found last year, with the grand final Footy Show and major events, that the Footy Show dominated the ratings and did really well so we're going to continue doing that," McGuire said.
"Sam is one of the most unique talents - a 300-game superstar, he's been a legend of television, particularly in Melbourne. And for Sam to be excited and ready to go around again and sign a new deal with Channel Nine is fantastic.
"I love working with Sam. I can't wait to get involved in some big television events with him."
Newman spoke to AFL Footy Show viewers in an emotional down-the-barrel address at the end of the season, when he was uncertain of the program's future.
Newman's emotional message
McGuire dropped the surprise show announcement news on Friday morning, also speaking on the Today show.
"We're going to change it up a bit," McGuire said.
"We had to work out just where the AFL Footy Show sat.
"Sam Newman and myself are going to host a number of specials next year which are going to be big, extravagant entertainment footy shows, just like the grand final Footy Show.
"We'll then have another show that will be on a Wednesday and Thursday night depending on what's happening in the footy world, and that will be a completely new show - new hosts, new people. Sam might be going in between both of them.
"I won't be hosting that show, but I'll be hosting the specials. And then Sam will also be involved on the extended Sunday Footy Show on the Sunday morning with some of his great head-to-head interviews.
"So a bigger Footy Show, a bigger suite of shows to give to the people who love their AFL.
"It's a huge year coming up, so trying to fit ourselves in, we think we've come up with a very elegant solution but most importantly, give people what they want, not what you think they want. And that's what we've been told, they love the big events on the Footy Show, so we're going to provide them the biggest names in sport."
