AFL grand final shifts to 5.15pm twilight slot in 2028
AFL will almost certainly shift its grand final to 5.15pm starting in 2028.
The AFL's 2.30pm grand final start time is on borrowed time. Reporter Xander McGuire revealed that the league plans to shift the decider to 5.15pm in 2028, the year Tasmania enters the competition.
McGuire said he is 80 per cent certain the move will happen. The 5.15pm slot has already proved successful with preliminary finals, giving the AFL both tradition and prime-time television darkness for a better broadcast show.
Research suggests a later start could boost the TV audience by about a million viewers. The change has sparked fierce debate online, with fans split between those who prize the afternoon tradition and families with children, and those who see the twilight slot as better for working people and the TV product.
- 2.30pm AEST
- Current start time
- 5.15pm
- New start time
- About 1 million viewers
- Potential audience boost
- 80 per cent certain
- Reporter confidence
Why it mattersA later start could boost TV ratings and suits working people, but costs afternoon tradition and families with young children.
AustraliaThe shift changes the timing for Australian families and workers on the busiest sports day of the year; afternoon routines, venue planning, and pub gatherings all adjust to the later slot.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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