Before The Game (AFL)

Before the Game
Before the Game Logo used from 2013
Also known as	After the Game BTG
Genre	Comedy / Sport
Written by	Paul Calleja Adam Rozenbachs
Directed by	Peter Ots
Presented by	Andrew Maher
Starring	Mick Molloy Dave Hughes Anthony Lehmann Neroli Meadows
Country of origin	Australia
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	11
No. of episodes	303
Production
Location(s)	South Yarra, Victoria
Running time	30 or 60 minutes
Production company(s)	Roving Enterprises
Release
Original network	Network Ten
Picture format	576i (SDTV)
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	1 March 2003 – 27 September 2013

Before The Game was an Australian rules football comedy panel television show which aired on Network Ten on 1 March 2003 until 27 September 2013. The show was hosted by Andrew Maher with regular panelists Mick Molloy, Dave Hughes, Anthony Lehmann and Neroli Meadows. The format of the show was light-hearted discussion and analysis of Australian Football League (AFL) news and views and included appearances by current players.

Before the Game (BTG) first aired on 1 March 2003 as After the Game. Originally, it was a half-hour broadcast following the Saturday night AFL match, aired at either 10.30 pm or 11.00 pm (depending on whether the televised match was live or delayed). During the existence of After the Game, the show was rated M and contained occasional profanity. The show was a cult hit. One notable act was when the After the Game team shave Fraser Gehrig's mullet off at the end of the 2003 Season.

Following the show's success in its late time slot, it was moved to a 6.30 pm time slot on 27 March 2004. When it moved to the prime time-slot, to make it more 'family friendly', it was given a PG rating.

The show originally aired in between the Saturday afternoon and Saturday night telecasts on Ten. Following the end of the 2011 season, the fate of BTG was unknown, as Ten had lost its AFL broadcast rights to the Seven Network. However, in 2012 Ten confirmed the show would return, with the entire panel from the previous year, in its regular 6:30pm time slot, and that the format may be altered slightly. This was similar to the Nine Network's decision to keep The Footy Show after it lost AFL broadcast rights at the end of the 2006 season. On 21 June 2012 BTG moved from Saturdays at 6.30pm to Thursdays at 8.30pm in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, also aired on One at 10.30pm in New South Wales and Queensland.