THE AFL will announce who has acquired the rights to broadcast the game for the next five years on Thursday afternoon.

The broadcast rights for 2012 to 2016 have been finalised and will be detailed for the first time in a press conference at AFL House at 2:30pm AEST.

The deal is expected to earn the League more than the $780 million gleaned in the last broadcast arrangement, reached on January 5 in 2006 between the Seven and Ten Networks.

That arrangement, which expires at the end of this year, also included Foxtel and was broken down into who would broadcast what shortly before the start of the 2007 season.

It also saw the introduction of the Sunday twilight fixture, which was broadcast nationally live by Fox Sports.

The internet rights, currently held by Telstra after a deal worth $60 million was confirmed in 2006, are also expected to be part of today's announcement.

More to follow