AFL Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan today said that Peter Campbell, General Manager, AFL Media and Broadcasting, had resigned after four years with the league to take up a position with Fox Sports. 

Mr McLachlan said the AFL was deeply disappointed to lose Mr Campbell, who will finish in his role later this month, but wished him well in his new position. 

Mr. McLachlan said: 

“The AFL’s digital platform – afl.com.au – has grown under Pete’s leadership to be clearly the number one sports site in the country.

“It has expanded the coverage of game, in conjunction with the 18 AFL club sites, so that more people are watching and reading about our game and that has been a great thing for the growth of both the AFL and Australian Football. 

“Pete’s leadership has seen AFL Media develop into a key commercial asset and communications arm for both the AFL competition and the wider game. 

“On a personal note, Pete’s personality and strong values will be missed by all his colleagues and staff as he takes the next step in his career,” he said. 

Before joining the AFL, Campbell spent 14 years as Director of Sports and Olympic Games at Fox Sports. He was involved in the acquisition of the 2010 and 2012 broadcast rights for the Vancouver and London Olympic Games with the Nine Network, and in early 2008, the acquisition of the 2010 Commonwealth Games with the Ten Network. 

In the last 12 months, the Key Metrics for AFL Media has seen:

·         Aggregate video streams (excluding AFL Live Pass streaming of live matches) of 135 million

·         Aggregate monthly unique visitors up five per cent;

·         Achieving a Nielsen Unique Audience reach of over 4 million n April 2017

·         Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Weibo) up 30 per cent to more than two million followers;

·         Total number of downloads of the AFL Live App and club apps totalling more than 5.8 million (up 1.1 million);

·         Cumulative streaming minutes of live matches via the AFL Live App of 185 million minutes (up 79 million minutes) and peak concurrent Live Pass subscribers up 100 per cent on 2015;

·         International Digital Rights revenue via the AFL’s partner Brave Bison (formerly Rightster International) grew by more than 20 per cent 

Mr Campbell said he had loved his time at the AFL and appreciated greatly the support of so many people. 

“The leadership of the AFL in the establishment of AFL Media in 2012 was as insightful and ground-breaking as it was brave,’ Mr Campbell said. 

‘Equally, the support from the clubs, players, coaches, administrators and AFL staff has ensured a model of longevity and innovation.  

‘I am very proud of the talented professionals in the Media and Broadcasting team - they care deeply about the game, how it is presented, how they can make it more accessible to more people. 

“I look forward to continuing to work with the AFL in my new role at Fox Sports,” Mr. Campbell said.