Seven Network

The **Seven Network** (commonly known as **Channel Seven** or simply **Seven**) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by Seven West Media Limited, and is one of five main free-to-air television networks in Australia. Channel Seven's head office is in Sydney.

As of 2019, the Seven Network is the second-highest rated television network and primary channel in Australia, behind the Nine Network and ahead of Network 10, the ABC and SBS. The Seven Network is the broadcaster of popular franchises and programs, including the AFL, the Cricket, the Olympics, *Sunrise*, *My Kitchen Rules*, *Big Brother Australia*, *The Chase Australia*, *Australia's Got Talent*, *House Rules*, *Home and Away*, *Better Homes & Gardens* and *Seven News*. In 2011 the Seven Network won all 40 out of 40 weeks of the ratings season for total viewers. Seven is the first to achieve this since the introduction of the OzTAM ratings system in 2001. As of 2014, it is the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach.

## Programming

New programs introduced in 2005 led to a ratings increase, following a relatively poor 2004.

From 2010, the Seven Network began to implement the tactic of creating a 5 to 20-minute delay in the scheduled start time of non-live programming after 7:30 pm in an attempt to minimise viewer channel surfing between prime-time shows. This is done by increasing the duration of the commercial breaks and then decreasing them once the prime-time period is over. This tactic not only disrupts viewer recordings of the shows, but has a dramatic effect on their regional affiliates such as Prime and Southern Cross who must adapt their inserted commercials breaks as the live play-out from Seven's Melbourne facility occurs which can cause either both the regional station identification and the Seven identification being displayed with a possible black screen between them or the start of a program being missed entirely by the regional break overlapping.

### **Local programs**

Australian programming shown on the network includes dramas *Wanted*, soap *Home and Away*, lifestyle shows; *Better Homes and Gardens*, gameshows; *The Chase Australia*, *Australia's Got Talent*, reality; *My Kitchen Rules*, *House Rules*, *First Dates* and *Seven Year Switch*, factuals; *The Force*, *Border Security*, *Highway Patrol*, *Beach Cops*, *Surveillance Oz* and *Gold Coast Medical*.

### **Foreign programs**

Most US programming that airs on Seven and its digital multichannels is sourced from Seven's deals with Disney-ABC International Television / Disney Media Distribution (long running; also shared with Disney+), 20th Century Studios (long running), NBCUniversal International Television, Sony Pictures Television International / Sony Pictures Animation, Warner Bros International Television / Warner Bros. Family Entertainment (theatrical films only), and Icon Films.

Seven is now share the Disney films and televisions with the streaming online of Disney+ because the studio needs to leave room for Warner Bros and new Disney series while they moved Paramount films to Nine, but Seven and Nine are also share with Disney and Warner Bros.

### **Share overseas programs**

Share US programming that airs on Seven and Nine which its digital multichannels is sourced from Seven and Nine's deals with Warner Bros International Television / Warner Bros. Family Entertainment (theatrical films only), Disney Media Distribution (Marvel and Star Wars series only), 20th Century Studios (films from Regency only), NBCUniversal International Television, and Sony Pictures Television International / Sony Pictures Animation.

Share US programming that airs on Seven and Ten which its digital multichannels is sourced from Seven and Ten's deals with Disney Media Distribution (Touchstone films only), Sony Pictures Television International, and Warner Bros International Television / Warner Bros. Family Entertainment (theatrical films only).

### **Former programs**

The network formerly broadcast catalogue movie and television titles from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer produced in the 1990s prior to 2011, DreamWorks from 2007 to 2015, Illumination from 2012 to 2016, and movie titles of Paramount from 1990s to 2020. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, DreamWorks, Illumination, and Paramount now belong to the Nine Network, Nine revived Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, DreamWorks, Illumination, and Paramount broadcast rights. Effective from 2017 onward, Seven revived 20th Century Fox broadcast rights.

Previously, the network had output deals with Sony Corporation and NBC Universal, however changed its deals with both in mid-2013. Seven renegotiated its NBCU deal to continue rights to air existing popular NBC co-produced programs including *Downton Abbey* and *Mrs Brown's Boys*, as well as NBC News content. Commiserate with the American network's own slump, Seven has not found huge success with an NBC primetime series since 2007. With Sony, Seven has signed a three-year minimum quota deal, where by Seven will agree to purchase a set number of Sony produced US primetime series and selected films each year.

## Awards

At the 2018 Sport Australia media awards, Seven networks won the "Best coverage of a sporting event" award for the coverage of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast.