Seven seeks more documents in legal fracas with Cricket Australia

Seven Network and Cricket Australia were back in the Federal Court today for an interlocutory hearing over their dispute on the quality of Big Bash League broadcasts.

Seven is seeking compensation over its $450m deal and to terminate the last two years of its six-year contract.

Canberra Times reports it is now seeking internal documents from Cricket Australia to find out whether it exercised “reasonable endeavours” to achieve a certain quality. Seven will contest the quality of last season’s BBL tournament, where lower-grade players were used when compared to the IPL.

“We know when matches occurred, we know when there was simultaneous scheduling, we know that certain players did or did not play on particular days,” Seven’s barrister David Thomas SC told the court.

“What we don’t know and we don’t have a sense of is the totality of considerations that Cricket Australia had in its mind in determining those matters.”

Barrister Jeffrey Gleeson KC, for Cricket Australia, said several factors fed into scheduling decisions, including travel, availability of international players, stadiums and COVID-19 quarantine.

He argued his client shouldn’t have to explain every endeavour.

Justice Michael O’Bryan said a far more sensible approach is to demonstrate how Seven revenues and profits were affected.

The matter was adjourned to a hearing in July 2023.