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TEN upbeat over Big Bash rights

TEN is upbeat about more than 100 hours of Twenty20 Big Bash League over summer.

2013-06-04_2016Despite losing out on the rights to international cricket, a buoyant TEN remained upbeat over winning the exclusive broadcast rights to the Twenty20 Big Bash League.

The five-year agreement will see cricket broadcast on TEN for the first time.

TEN Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Hamish McLennan, said: “We are delighted to join forces with Cricket Australia as its exclusive domestic Twenty20 cricket partner and we look forward to a long, successful partnership.

“The Twenty20 Big Bash League is a great competition, and TEN and Cricket Australia will make it a major free-to-air television event.

“We will work closely with Cricket Australia on the scheduling, marketing and promotion of the league to ensure it is the premium domestic sporting event of the Australian summer,” he said.

“The Big Bash League has a lot of potential and the shortest form of the game represents a great opportunity for viewers to engage with cricket.

“Our agreement with Cricket Australia fits perfectly with TEN’s strategy of bring big television events to a broad audience. The Twenty20 Big Bash League will give TEN more than 100 hours of exciting content across the 2013-14 summer and will be a compelling event for viewers and advertisers.”

19 Responses

  1. @Armchair Analyst
    Ten has improved their sports coverage which they are probably the only commercial network to air sports in HD and live. So the BBL is a huge win for the network as well as the recent Sochi 2014. 2014 is the year they will change the network around after a disastrous 2012

  2. @ oztvheritage. My comment regarding the treatment of AFL and in the end not renewing the contract with Seven/AFL and reducing the NBL and Netball broadcasts was in relation to Lachlan Murdoch getting control, that was my point all the way. that since Murdoch gained influence over TEN’s programing decisions and what sport to cover and what sport not to things went down hill fast. I do not dispute that before Murdoch got control of TEN that AFL and NBL and Netball plus Swimming and other sports were in HD and Live around the nation on ONE (HD). My point overall was that TEN at leas with me has lost a lot of faith and trust in broadcasting sport in HD and treating it with respect that is all, with there track record i dont think many people would disagree with me on that.

  3. I suspect CA will keep the rights for Sheffield Shield and stream online as they did last season using “home state” cameras (which Fox Sports also webcast on their website). It does make sense for Ryobi Cup to be linked to BBL coverage, as the limited overs formats tend to capture imagination a bit better, even though the gate crowds at the games are pretty sparse… And many of the teams are largely aligned between state Shield and city BBL teams.

  4. @Craig
    It will most definitely air on Ten as it is premium content and replays in HD on One
    @Ryan
    Look at the ratings Cricket dominates the ratings compared to AFL. And no HD for AFL but likely for the cricket on Ten

  5. I hope Foxtel don’t get the rights to Ryobi and Sheffield Shield. ABC or SBS can’t afford it. Ten should get em and air it in HD on One

  6. @ Armchair….Ten gave good commitment to AFL. Ten showed AFL in the developing Northern markets every week and got killed in the ratings. Their commitment was first class until Murdoch came along and stopped showing AFL in HD on One.

    But no worse than Seven’s NON-HD commitment to AFL or Nine’s non HD commitment to NRL. All because of the federal government’s crazy Analogue/SD protection Laws. Once Analogue is turned off nationwide, there will be no excuses. Whaooooo!

  7. The AFR reported that Ten bid $20m for the domestic rights (including BBL, Ryobi Cup and Sheffield Shield final) and Foxtel bid $12.5m for them.

    Ten could have the rights to the Ryobi Cup and the Shield final and be on selling them (most likely to Fox Sports). Or perhaps they just don’t care about them and will let anybody show them. Or the reporting could just be wrong and Ten only bid for the BBL (it seems a lot of money for $8m a year more for something Nine never wanted the first place then).

    Where on earth would the ABC find the space to broadcast hundreds of hours of cricket? They struggle to find enough time for the highlights of the women’s basketball and soccer over summer.

    Nine probably passed on the West Indies test because of other commitments e.g. Wimbledon. That caused them to sell the Ashes rights onto SBS a couple of times.

  8. I hope Network Ten are serious about this competition. They were and then were not serious about NBL and Netball. I still remain skeptical about Ten’s commitment to the sports they buy the rights to from now on. I have been burnt badly like AFL, NBL, Netball, by there short termisms and poor decision making. I will be watching this with caution and hoping Ten treat this league with respect. If Ten get the Tennis australia rights then i think Hamish McLennan’s state might be redundant. @ Earthquake. No chance of that happening as long as Lachlan Murdoch is on the board and having any say in Ten’s programing and long term strategy. Even now would be a better time to reboot it.

  9. Just to update myself: it appears that one-day domestic and Sheffield Shield games weren’t included in the Ten rights and the ABC is in discussions with CA for one-day domestic rights.

  10. I am looking forward to watching the BBL on Ten. I think Tens deal might include Women’s T20. I think Ryobi Cup and Sheffield Shield might end up on One

  11. Another story I read wrote that Ten had secured “domestic rights” – so I thought that included one-day interstate games as well as Sheffield Shield? Is this right?

    Either way, I’m looking forward to BBL on Ten/One, hopefully this will be a catalyst for changing One back to a sports channel.

  12. A small correction if I may .. Channel 10 broadcast an Australian tour of the West Indies in the late 90s. IIRC it was at the start of pay tv and all Australian games home and away had to be broadcast on Free to Air so for some reason Ten showed it. They also showed the first season or two of the Indian Premier League

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