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Cricket rights shift to new horizon

Nine has given up the right to bid last on cricket broadcasting deals.

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Nine has given up a last refusal right for cricket, refusing to pay the multi-million dollar fee with Cricket Australia.

In the last round of $450m broadcast negotiations, Nine was able to top TEN’s bid with less than an hour before the deadline expired.

Now Cricket Australia can deal with all broadcasters freely, with Nine’s only remaining trump card its 40 year legacy with the sport.

TEN now has the deep pockets of CBS, but FOX Sports could look at a dedicated channel, whilst Seven is a fierce competitor for premium sports.

News Corp reports Nine, Foxtel and TEN were recently spotted at Adelaide Oval with Cricket Australia executives, although the official tendering process is yet to begin.

Meanwhile the last BBL deal was clinched by TEN for $20 million, but experts believe that could almost triple this time and command as much as $50-60 million a year.

Both Nine & TEN are talking up latest viewing numbers.

9 Responses

  1. However, the combination of Big Bash and summer international cricket on the one channel would give that channel a huge summer advantage as there’d literally be cricket on every day and nearly every night for two months roughly (big bash games don’t overlap with internationals usually).

  2. Wow imagine the possibility of summer of cricket not being on Nine? Have grown up sever since I can remember having cricket on Nine in summer, tennis on Seven in January. Would Nine really let it go that easily?

    If expense is an issue then I think a Nine/Foxtel situation for summer might be likely (similar to NRL where games are on Nine and Foxtel + some Foxtel only).

  3. Cricket Australia has a 24/7 dedicated channel during the Summer months, via Fetch TV.

    Maybe TEN/CBS could buy the FTA rights to broadcast cricket, and CA turns the Summer month’s pop-up streamed channel into an all year round, 24/7 channel.

    That way, FTA is on TEN, and subscription views are streamed via Fetch.

  4. When do the current round of cricket rights expire?

    Can’t see Seven going for them.
    Foxtel might have a go but I suspect it will mainly be a two horse race between Nine and Ten.

    A lot of people like Ten’s telecast of BBL and WBBL (me included). Imagine Ten acquiring test match and ODI cricket too.
    It would be a drip in the cash splashed ocean for CBS and should get viewers and therefore advertisers to Ten for the long term.

    How’s that for an idea?

    P.S. I also watch Nine’s telecast of the cricket.

  5. Would not be surprised to see Fox Sports in a joint bid with a Fox cricket channel . Which is more justifiable with year round content then what the league or afl channels are showing six months of replays to the detriment of some live sport not being able to be shown because it can’t fit in on the six channels remaining

  6. A change is as good as a holiday, sure hope it moves from 9 for no other reason than a change from the normal stale 9… Ten doing a great job with the BBL so maybe it good fit.

  7. Seven has the tennis. And golf, AFL, @l^mp!cs and Commonwealth games. They are they are the only ones not interested in cricket. The Ashes rate well, especially when England are getting flogged, the three Summer in between that no so much. Nine won’t pay as much as they did before to keep the Tests (as evidenced by them dropping last bid to save money). They want the BBL from Ten though.

  8. Adelaide test just finished with record crowds even beating the bodyline series. The BBL had enormous crowds last year with record crowds at most grounds. The BBL is one of the best attended sporting competitions in the world.

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