International streaming giants Paramount and Amazon are understood to be keen on securing a slice of the AFL's broadcast pie.
The league is currently weighing up intrigued suitors for their next broadcast deal, which will commence beyond 2024. With current trends moving away from TV and toward streaming services, an array of platforms are in the running for an AFL partnership.
Five-year rating slumps for the Fox Footy and free-to-air broadcaster Seven Network may have placed a spin on the AFL's thinking for the future, with Fox's sports streaming service Kayo having seen vast growth since its introduction ahead of the 2019 season.
As of May last year, Kayo had broken the 1 million subscriber barrier, with the service continuing its impressive growth and ascendency across the past 12 months.
Seven (18 per cent drop) and Fox Footy (12 per cent drop) have seen contrasting trends compared to their ratings from 2017.
With a new broadcast agreement a major task for departing league boss Gillon McLachlan, the AFL have already sought after interest to prospective buyers, according toย The Age.
Paramount and Amazon are among those who replied to the league's letter, with the pair of streaming services looking to further expand their place on the Australian streaming map.
Amazon has recently secured the Australian Swimming Championships as part of a two-year deal with Swimming Australia, while the world-class service has already held partnerships with the English Premier League and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
Paramount made major waves in Australian sport across the past 12 months by securing the rights to both the men's and women's A-League campaigns for a five-year deal, $200 million deal.
Also under the CBS Studios umbrella with Channel Ten, the AFL could reap some FTA benefit with Paramount, something similar to the streaming services' A-League deal.
The AFL will be eyeing a bumper broadcast deal when the league enters its next bidding war, with both the AFL and AFLW also needing to iron out new collective bargaining agreements in 2022.
AFLW players are understood to be pushing for a mammoth 107 per cent pay increase, with the league tipped to tick off a groundbreaking new CBA that will see them earn double their wages for next season.