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7mate

From Alfawiki
7mate
Company typeFree-to-air digital TV multichannel
IndustryBroadcasting, Television
FoundedSeptember 25, 2010; 16 years ago (2010-09-25) in Australia
Area served
Australia
ProductsTelevision programming, Sports broadcasting
OwnerSeven Network
Website7plus.com.au

7mate is an Australian free-to-air digital TV multichannel that the Seven Network launched on 25 September 2010. Designed primarily for a male demographic, the channel offers a blend of sports and general entertainment, featuring new series, American imports, and programming previously shown on sister stations Seven, 7two, and 7flix.

When 7HD was reinstated on 10 May 2016, 7mate’s broadcast format was adjusted: Melbourne and Adelaide viewers received standard definition streams, whereas Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth were provided with HD simulcasts until December 2016. Afterward, selective programming allowed AFL games to be aired in HD on 7mate, while 7HD remained the main simulcast channel.

History

The channel commenced operations as a standalone service on 25 September 2010, taking over from 7HD as the Seven Network’s exclusive high-definition outlet. Its first broadcast featured the 2010 AFL Grand Final, simulcast alongside an SD broadcast on Seven Network. Following the AFL coverage, 7mate launched original content with an episode of That '70s Show.

With the return of 7HD on 10 May 2016, 7mate transitioned to standard definition. In Melbourne and Adelaide, 7HD resumed simulcasting Seven’s primary channel, while in other metropolitan areas it simulcast 7mate, enabling nationwide HD broadcasts of AFL matches. During the 2016 Summer Olympics, 7HD temporarily simulcast Seven’s main channel in Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth to provide HD Olympics coverage before reverting to simulcasting 7mate post-event.

On 16 December 2016, 7HD switched again to simulcast Seven’s primary channel in Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth for HD coverage of the Summer of Tennis, leaving 7mate in SD. This arrangement became permanent with breakaway programming used on 7HD to air AFL matches from 7mate in high definition.

In October 2019, Seven announced plans to upgrade 7mate to HD by 2020. Subsequently, on 29 December 2019 it was confirmed that a high-definition simulcast of 7mate would replace the 7food network starting from 16 January 2020.

On 10 July 2020, a refreshed logo for 7mate was unveiled to align its branding with Seven and 7two, featuring a streamlined design and updated typography for "mate."

The HD version of 7mate relaunched across Seven Regional markets on 6 July 2022.

On 30 November 2022, the standard-definition broadcast of 7mate on channel 73 was discontinued; viewers were advised to switch to the HD feed on channel 74 and perform a channel rescan. The notification prompting this retune was removed two weeks later on 14 December.

Programming

Aiming at males aged between 15 and 55 years old, 7mate complements Seven Network’s female-targeted channels such as Seven and 7two, which focus mainly on audiences aged over 35 and over 25 respectively. The channel broadcasts a mix of reruns from Seven and 7two, premieres making their free-to-air debut, as well as original Australian productions. Meanwhile, Seven and 7two primarily cater to viewers aged over 55.

The lineup includes new seasons of Family Guy, American Dad!, and The Amazing Race, along with repeats of Scrubs, Last Comic Standing, Air Crash Investigations, 30 Rock, That '70s Show, Lost, and How I Met Your Mother. The series Mighty Ships shifted from occasional specials on Seven to become a regular feature on 7mate.

Free-to-air premieres have included titles such as Eastbound and Down, Monster Garage, Jersey Shore, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, and Punk'd. New series introduced on the channel encompass The Equalizer (2021), Warehouse 13, and Caprica. The station also broadcasts various sporting events including live Australian Football League (AFL) matches in New South Wales and Queensland since its launch in that region in 2012.

In that same year, Seven launched weekday morning children’s programming blocks: K-Zone on 7mate showcased male-oriented Disney shows like Phineas and Ferb, Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil, Pair of Kings, and Zeke and Luther, while female-targeted content aired under the brand Total Girl on 7two.

The locally produced series Bogan Hunters debuted in May 2014 and became the highest-rated non-sport program ever aired by the channel.

On 29 February 2016, all children’s programming was removed from the schedule, replaced instead by lifestyle fishing shows.

Starting February 2018, after acquiring rights previously held by Network Ten since its debut in Australia in 1991, weekly episodes of The Simpsons began airing on 7mate. In addition, in 2019 ‘‘Futurama’’ returned to broadcast via Seven Network through a new agreement with FOX, marking its first appearance on Seven since its initial run ended in 2004.

Continuing its tradition, the channel features both contemporary and classic films and television series sourced from major studios including 20th Century Studios, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Sony Pictures, and Universal Pictures.

Adult Animation

Comedy

Documentary

Lifestyle

  • Adventure Angler
  • Blokesworld
  • The Last Cast
  • Mark Berg's Fishing Addiction
  • Merv Hughes Fishing
  • My Fishing Place
  • River to Reef
  • The Weekend Prospector

Reality

Factual

Sport

Adult animation

Children's (2012–2016)

Preschool (2012–2016)

Comedy

Drama


Documentary


Lifestyle

  • Hook, Line and Sinker


Light entertainment

  • Kinne
  • Last Comic Standing
  • ScreenPLAY


Reality


Sport


Other

  • Bid America
  • Big!
  • Building The Ultimate
  • Car Crash TV
  • D.E.A
  • Jetpack Nation
  • The Kingdom
  • Motor Mate
  • NWA: On Fire
  • Project Xtreme
  • Robot Wars
  • Selling Big
  • Style in Steel
  • Turtleman
  • Ultimate Sprintcar
  • Zoom TV


News

7mate provides updates of national news through broadcasts of Seven News from both the primary Seven channel and 7TWO, covering all Australian states.

Sport

Between 2012 and 2016, 7mate held broadcasting rights to show at least four live AFL matches per round for viewers in NSW/ACT and Queensland, directly challenging Nine Network’s Friday night NRL. In Western Australia, AFL matches are also aired on 7mate, with time zone adjustments allowing delayed telecasts for local teams.

7mate served as the sole Australian broadcaster for the International Rules Series. During AFL seasons, it also televised the Supercars Championship events in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth when AFL fixtures overlapped.

In 2013, 7mate was the exclusive channel airing the full Rugby League World Cup. Later that year, it secured rights to the Hopman Cup, taking over from Network Ten after three tournaments. Additionally, the network broadcasted the 2013–14 season of the LFL Australia.

Starting in 2014, under a three-year exclusive agreement with Seven Network, 7mate aired SANFL matches, marking SANFL’s return to commercial television after a 22-year run on ABC.

In June 2014, Seven Network obtained a five-year contract to broadcast the NFL, which was extended through to 2024. From 2015 onwards, 7mate has supplemented Seven's sports coverage by providing nightly news updates during major events such as the Australian Open tennis tournament (until 2018) and cricket matches (from 2019).

Coverage of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast was also featured on 7mate. Beginning with the 2018/19 season, Seven Network—including 7mate—became Australia’s free-to-air home for cricket through a six-year partnership with Foxtel. This arrangement concluded Nine Network’s exclusive cricket broadcast streak of 45 years and ended Ten’s five-year hold on Big Bash League rights. The coverage package includes all men’s international test matches, 43 Big Bash League games, all women’s internationals, and 23 Women’s Big Bash League contests.

In 2021, 7mate broadcasted the postponed 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo.

Availability

7mate is accessible in standard definition within major cities through Seven Network’s owned-and-operated stations: ATN Sydney, HSV Melbourne, BTQ Brisbane, SAS Adelaide, and TVW Perth. In Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth, 7mate is also broadcast in high definition on 7HD during AFL programming with split feeds. The Seven-owned STQ Queensland delivers 7mate solely in HD without an SD option.

In regional areas, affiliates provide 7mate as a dedicated multichannel in high definition: GWN7 (now merged with Seven) serves regional Western Australia on channel 63; QQQ covers Remote Eastern and Central Australia on channel 70; while Prime7 (also merged with Seven) offers 7mate in standard definition on channel 63 alongside Prime7 HD on channel 60 across regional NSW/ACT, Victoria, and Gold Coast Queensland. Southern Cross Television transmits 7mate in standard definition via GTS/BKN Spencer Gulf/Broken Hill (channel 63), TNT Tasmania, and TND Darwin (channel 73), following the introduction of Southern Cross HD on channels 60 and 70.

7mate HD

A dedicated high definition simulcast of 7mate commenced broadcasting on 16 January 2020 in 1080i HD format using MPEG-4 compression on digital channel 74. This launch replaced the discontinued 7food network and is available across Seven Network’s owned-and-operated stations including ATN Sydney, HSV Melbourne, BTQ Brisbane, SAS Adelaide, TVW Perth, STQ Queensland, CBN Canberra & Southern NSW, AMV Victoria, and NEN Northern NSW.

Logo and identity history

At its inception, the 7mate logo incorporated the standard Seven emblem in blue accompanied by the word "mate" outlined in black. On 10 July 2020, just prior to Seven’s multichannel rebranding initiative, 7mate unveiled an updated logo that eliminated the black outline and refreshed the "mate" typography for a more streamlined design.

Slogans

  • 2010–2016: Man's Best Friend
  • 2010–present: Maaaaaaattttteee
  • 2016–present: The Best Channel in The World Ever.

See also

External links

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