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Cricket Australia apologises for “bottom feeders” line directed at TEN

Cricket Australia has been doing a lot of apologising of late....

How quickly a cosy relationship can change if an article on sports negotiations is any indication.

Cricket Australia chairman David Peever has apologised to CBS Studios boss Armando Nunez after sending an email in which he referred to TEN as “bottom feeders.”

Cricket Australia has been doing a lot of apologising of late….

Fairfax reports Peever sent the email to Nunez after TEN and Nine made a joint bid for cricketing broadcast rights.

When Nunez was here during the Australian Grand Prix he reached out to Cricket Australia to discuss the bid which was rejected by CA.

“Unfortunately your team has completely messed this up,” Peever reportedly said.

“I expected much more given our discussions and the unique position we were affording 10. Franky (sic), the tactics are appalling on a number of levels.”

He suggested reaching out to CA CEO James Sutherland but said Nunez should not invite TEN’s local management “as I feel they are not prepared to challenge their operating model to be anything other than bottom feeders in this market”. Yikes. Over to you, cartoonists….

The meeting with Sutherland took place later that weekend, and it’s understood TEN chief executive Paul Anderson attended.

Peever has since apologised for the scathing comment.

Meanwhile there is more speculation of a joint Seven / Foxtel bid for cricket rights with CA seeking $150m a year.

CBS, TEN and Cricket Australia declined to comment, according to the article.

13 Responses

  1. Ten has garnered widespread approval of it’s treatment of the Big Bash – and in doing so has only helped improve the sports profile. As “bottom feeders” they knew the need to treat the franchise well to help build a summer audience.

    1. Its amazing how arrogant an organisation can be when they think they are in a position of power. Then bang, bang, bang a few scandals and those tough words said just days before come to bite you on the behind

      CA needs to learn how to eat humble pie – and I hope the most delicious pie they are forced to eat is a 6 year multichannel TV deal where the networks have paid unders and shafted most of the content over to pay networks.

      Remember, CA wants most of their content on free TV – thats where the audience is. They wont want BBL to go back to Fox and risk all those TV numbers and crowd attendance, but thats what they are staring down the barrel of right now

  2. Definitely not the way to do business. With 2 of their biggest stars out for 12 months the Australian cricket team is seriously devalued. It will be a long way back. CA will be lucky to get what 9 previously paid and 850 mill. or whatever they want now has to be a pipe dream. I don’t often agree with Shane Warne, but CA does need a clean out.

  3. How would Seven be able to accomodate both cricket and the final year of it’s tennis contract next summer? Possibly relegate the tennis to a SD multi-channel?

        1. Can Seven actually do that? They’re contracted for 2019 and I don’t know if that can legally change. You’d think Nine would be very eager otherwise and would’ve tried already?

          Remember, if Seven are successful, they may not get everything. If they don’t get BBL or only certain BBL, the Australian Open is still huge for prime-time (Seven themselves gloating at their 2018 success earlier this year).

      1. Two HD channels? That would be nice. On the Sunshine Coast we are still waiting for Seven to make its primary channel HD (like Brisbane). We’re not holding our breath!

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