Eddie McGuire's Tuesday Footy Classified axed as Nine moves AFL show to digital

Network replaces the program with another episode of Footy Furnace, likely to stream on 9Now or Stan Sport

By LineZotpaper

Published23 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Sources2 outlets

Eddie McGuire's Tuesday night edition of Footy Classified will not return on Nine in 2027, with the network replacing the program with an extra weekly episode of Footy Furnace that is expected to be relegated to its digital platforms.

Nine has confirmed the Tuesday edition of Footy Classified will be dropped next year as part of a reshaping of its football magazine programming. The slot will instead go to another weekly episode of Footy Furnace, also produced by McGuire's JAM TV, though the show is not expected to air on Nine's broadcast channels. According to The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, it is likely to move to the 9Now streaming platform or potentially sit behind the paywall of Stan Sport.

"The Tuesday edition of Footy Classified will not return next year," a Nine spokesperson said.

Footy Classified will continue in its Monday evening slot, hosted by Sam McClure with regular panellists Matthew Lloyd, Jimmy Bartel and journalist Damian Barrett. McGuire has hosted the show's second weekly edition since 2020, when it aired on Wednesdays before moving to Tuesday nights.

He is not leaving the network entirely. McGuire will continue presenting other programming, including the Melbourne Cup Spring Racing Carnival, and is expected to feature in several other Nine projects in 2027. He served as chief executive of the company from 2006 to 2007.

Nine said the decision is part of an effort to align its broadcast output across its national network, with AFL content usually not going to air in NRL-dominated states New South Wales and Queensland. Nine is the official free-to-air broadcaster for the NRL, while Seven broadcasts the AFL alongside Foxtel and its digital brand Kayo.

The change comes amid growth in magazine-style programming, driven by the significant outlay on sports broadcast rights and the relatively low cost of producing studio-based panel shows. Nine owns The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, which reported this story.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The move shows how Nine is reshaping its AFL coverage, pushing a football panel show from broadcast television onto streaming platforms.
It reflects the broader economics of sports media: expensive broadcast rights are encouraging networks to fill schedules with relatively cheap studio programming.
For McGuire, it ends a hosting role he has held since 2020, though he retains a production interest through JAM TV and other presenting work.

Background

Eddie McGuire, a former Nine chief executive, has been a mainstay of the network's football coverage for years. Panel programs such as Footy Classified have become a growing part of sports broadcasting as networks spend heavily on rights deals and look for lower-cost content to surround them. Nine's decision to shift a weekly AFL show to its digital platforms comes as the network also carries NRL rights, and its AFL-focused programming has typically been seen only in states where the code has a strong following.

Key Perspectives

Nine: The change is part of aligning its broadcast output across the national network, with AFL content usually not airing in NRL-dominated states. The Tuesday edition of Footy Classified will not return, to be replaced by Footy Furnace on digital. McGuire and JAM TV: The arrangement is a reshuffle rather than a departure. JAM TV continues to produce both shows, and McGuire keeps presenting the Melbourne Cup carnival and other projects in 2027. Viewers and industry observers: The shift moves Tuesday night AFL discussion off free-to-air television and toward 9Now or a possible Stan Sport paywall, a sign of how much sports content is migrating to streaming.

What to Watch

Whether Footy Furnace appears on the free-to-view 9Now platform or goes behind Stan Sport's subscription paywall.
Whether the Monday edition of Footy Classified remains unchanged through the 2027 season.
What the other Nine projects featuring McGuire in 2027 turn out to be.

Sources

Eddie McGuire no longer hosting a footy show on Nine · Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Eddie McGuire no longer hosting a footy show on Nine · The Age - Latest News

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 8 supported.

Show each claim

Partly supportedThe headline says Footy Classified is axed and Nine is moving an AFL show to digital.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The program will be replaced by another weekly episode of Nine’s Footy Furnace, which like Footy Classified is also produced by McGuire’s JAM TV, though it is not expected to be aired on Nine’s broadcast channels.”
Partly supportedThe summary says the replacement episode is likely to stream on 9Now or Stan Sport.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Instead, it will be relegated to Nine’s digital platform 9Now, or potentially even behind the paywall of Stan Sport.”
Partly supportedThe story attributes the likely digital move to both The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Calum Jaspan is a media writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, based in Melbourne.”
SupportedA Nine spokesperson said, “The Tuesday edition of Footy Classified will not return next year,”Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: ““The Tuesday edition of Footy Classified will not return next year,” a Nine spokesperson said.”
SupportedNine is replacing the Tuesday Footy Classified with another weekly episode of Footy Furnace, which is not expected to air on Nine’s broadcast channels.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The program will be replaced by another weekly episode of Nine’s Footy Furnace, which like Footy Classified is also produced by McGuire’s JAM TV, though it is not expected to be aired on Nine’s broadcast channels.”
SupportedFooty Classified will continue on Monday evenings, hosted by Sam McClure with Matthew Lloyd, Jimmy Bartel and Damian Barrett as regular panellists.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Footy Classified will continue to broadcast on Monday evenings. This masthead’s Sam McClure currently hosts the Monday edition of Footy Classified, with regular panellists including Matthew Lloyd, Jimmy Bartel and journalist Damian Barrett.”
SupportedMcGuire has hosted the second weekly edition since 2020, first on Wednesdays and later on Tuesdays.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “McGuire has been a mainstay on Nine, and has hosted Footy Classified’s second show of the week since 2020, initially airing on Wednesdays before moving to Tuesday night.”
SupportedMcGuire will continue presenting other Nine programming, including the Melbourne Cup Spring Racing Carnival, and is expected to feature in other Nine projects in 2027.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “McGuire will continue to present other programming on the network, including the Melbourne Cup Spring Racing Carnival. He is also expected to feature in several other projects on the network in 2027.”
SupportedMcGuire was chief executive of the company from 2006 to 2007.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “He was chief executive of the company between 2006 and 2007.”
SupportedNine’s decision is part of an effort to align its broadcast output nationally, where AFL content usually does not air in New South Wales and Queensland, which are NRL-dominated states.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The decision is part of a move to align Nine’s broadcast output across its national network, with AFL content usually not going to air in NRL-dominated states New South Wales and Queensland.”
SupportedMagazine-style programming has increased recently because sports broadcast rights are costly and studio panel shows are relatively inexpensive to produce.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Magazine-style programming has increased recently due to the significant outlay on sports broadcast rights and the relatively low cost to produce studio-made panel shows, such as Footy Classified.”
Partly supportedNine owns The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Nine owns this masthead.”