COVID-19: A ₹ 160 crore budgetary headache for Cricket Australia

Measures to thwart the COVID-19 pandemic threat will drain our more than A$ 30 million (₹ 160 crores) from Cricket Australia’s budget. The cost to create a biosecure bubble is overshooting the $ 30 million budget for the series of events, which also included a high profile tour of India during November- December and the Big Bash League.

“Cricket Australia’s bio-security budget for the summer has ballooned past A$30 million as the governing body seeks to protect its broadcast rights with stringent protocols amid a spectacular breakdown in relations with Seven West Media,” Sydney Morning Herald has reported.

Cricket Australia was under pressure to ensure high-profile India’s tour Down Under and the Big Bash League as broadcast partner Seven network had threatened to call off the media rights deal in the absence of the prime content.

Cricket Australia will be compelled to incur over A$ 30 million on ensuring stringent safety measures to thwart the COVID-19 pandemic threat during the Summer Down Under. The initial cost of creating a bio-secure, foo proof bubble at around A$ 10 million. But, the cricket governing body has no option to avoid expenditure. It stands to earn A$ 300 million from media rights alone.

This home summer is worth more than $300 million to Cricket Australia in broadcast rights fees alone, with Foxtel and Seven paying nearly $200m between them per year under their agreement and an extra windfall coming because of India touring, SMH has reported.

“Seven’s threat to walk away from the game has heightened CA’s determination to safeguard the season against infection in an international or Big Bash League bubble, the result of which could be a loss of content and a disastrous breach of television contracts,” the report stated.

‘…it has emerged costs have reached three times that amount since the second wave of the virus, with the bill covering everything from charter flights to booking out whole sections of hotels and the purchase of COVID-19 test kits themselves,’ the report further stated.

Australia today (Friday) has also announced that the Women’s Big Bash League will be played in a hub of several stadiums in Sydney from October 25.

Admin Sportz Front

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