Due to a legal brawl with Seven West Media, Cricket Australia has considered canceling its broadcast deal with the company. It is believed that the cricket board is thinking of offering the rights to rival network Nine Entertainment Co.
Cricket Australia has been dragged to the Federal Court by Seven after the latter claimed it breached its broadcast rights contract and is separately fighting the organisation in the Australian Chamber for International and Commercial Arbitration over whether there should be a reduction in the value of the rights for the summer. The consideration of an alternative broadcast partner by Cricket Australia indicated that the bitterness between the two companies has increased.
If sources are to be believed, Cricket Australia has had multiple discussions with Nine about taking the broadcast rights to Test matches as early as January. Certain Test matches must be broadcast on free-to-air television and are under anti-siphoning laws. The informal talks were based on the belief that Seven could refuse to pay the installments it has to pay Cricket Australia every quarter, which will lead to the termination of the existing contract.
A Cricket Australia spokesperson said, “Despite the public health and logistical complexities presented by the pandemic, CA continues to deliver a safe and successful summer that has enthralled fans across the country and broken records along the way,”
“This is possible due to the support of our wonderful partners and we look forward to continuing our work together.” he added.
Seven’s chief executive James Warburton had publicly lashed out at the cricket body for lack of details in its summer plans in August. This marked the beginning of the crack in the relationship between Cricket Australia and Seven. Cricket Australia has been taken to arbitration by Seven who is seeking a significant cut (about 20 per cent) to the $70 million annual fee it pays as part of its claim, and has not ruled out terminating its contract with three seasons remaining.
Seven’s biggest concern is that cricket administrators prioritised the wishes of the governing body the BCCI and pay TV broadcaster partner Foxtel. The international calendar for 2020-21 which was rotated, with limited-overs matches between Australia and India that are exclusive to Foxtel starting the season had frustrated the Seven executives. Foxtel, which has the exclusive digital rights and all Big Bash League matches, one day Tests and T20 matches, signed a revised deal with the cricket according to a November report by the Australian Financial Review.
Nine, owner of this masthead, and Ten were the previous rights holders of the cricket but lost them in a $1.18 billion six-year deal struck in 2018 with Foxtel and Seven. Seven paid a $12.5 million to Cricket Australia last Tuesday which stopped the informal talks with Nine but were ongoing up until that point. The Big Bash League was offered to Ten early in the year by Seven. Nine and Ten informally expressed their eagerness to broadcast the sport again after Seven expressed their frustration with Cricket Australia. Foxtel currently holding all the rights for the Big Bash League is the issue for Ten as it would want to air the tournament matches exclusively.
Nine and Ten stayed away from commenting.