Australian Cricket - New TV rights negotiations/deal

Apparently Channel 9 currently loses $40 million per year televising cricket. If cannot strike a good deal with the Big Bash league does this mean that there is a looming funding crisis for Cricket Australia?

Cricket's revenue problem is all in its timing

It's the news no one at Cricket Australia ever expected to hear.

After raking in riches from commercial television for the past four decades – ever since Kerry Packer bet the family fortune on cricket to fill hours of summer airtime – global investment bank UBS estimates Nine loses $40 million a year televising the sport.

The recommendation from UBS cannot be more blunt. It tells Nine Entertainment Co to go get the rights to "more cricket content at no additional cost", which means bundling in the Big Bash League, or make the tough call and "step away from the cricket contract.".

The thought of a summer without cricket on Nine is anathema to both network and to legions of cricket fans. The sport is part of Nine's DNA and, after 40 years, the dulcet tones of Richie Benaud still end each day's broadcast......

Cricket's revenue problem is all in its timing

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Fingers crossed the ABC somehow picks up the broadcasting rights again.

jimmy101 said:

Fingers crossed the ABC somehow picks up the broadcasting rights again.

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Perhaps Turnbull/Morrison could introduce a special 'Cricket Tax' so that we can keep Cricket Australia afloat, watch the Ashes advert free and listen to Jim Maxwell at the same time. Who cares about the neanderthals who don't like cricket.

Will be interesting to see if this leads to the anti-siphoning laws being changed.

For my sake I hope not.

Wonder if they think they programs C9 would show instead would rate better ?

They already have 2-3 all advertising channels, must be raking it in on those.

Midwinter said:

Wonder if they think they programs C9 would show instead would rate better ?

They already have 2-3 all advertising channels, must be raking it in on those.

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It's not a matter as to whether they rate better, it's just how much the rights are costing them.

They could theoretically make more money showing antiques roadshow marathons for 5 days in a row even if hardly anyone watches it

Isn't this just a power play to get the big bash rights?

watson said:

Perhaps Turnbull/Morrison could introduce a special 'Cricket Tax' so that we can keep Cricket Australia afloat, watch the Ashes advert free and listen to Jim Maxwell at the same time. Who cares about the neanderthals who don't like cricket.

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If we don't grow the game, we end up like Rugby Union.

Your choice, amigo.

GotSpin said:

Isn't this just a power play to get the big bash rights?

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Not sure a UBS analyst would be involved in a power play to help C9. It's possible of course but I wouldn't say it's likely.

Quite likely imo. One of the major purposes of using bankers is to make them say things the firm itself cannot say without blowback.

harsh.ag said:

Quite likely imo. One of the major purposes of using bankers is to make them say things the firm itself cannot say without blowback.

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They didn't use a bank to do anything. It was an analyst report to the banks clients. I work in finance, I can promise you they would not have wanted this kind of note to be written

Got a feeling Ch9 will just **** up coverage of the BBL.

Ch10 have given it a really fresh feel, and it's perfect on summer nights kicking back. Fleming, Ponting, MWaugh & Gilly plus Howie and Maher have kept it really chilled, but with the right balance between entertainment and presenting a comp wanting to be taken seriously.

Can already imagine Ch9 bringing in special guests to commentate like Sam Newman and Karl Stephanovic. Ugh.

Red Hill said:

Got a feeling Ch9 will just **** up coverage of the BBL.

Ch10 have given it a really fresh feel, and it's perfect on summer nights kicking back. Fleming, Ponting, MWaugh & Gilly plus Howie and Maher have kept it really chilled, but with the right balance between entertainment and presenting a comp wanting to be taken seriously.

Can already imagine Ch9 bringing in special guests to commentate like Sam Newman and Karl Stephanovic. Ugh.

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oh and that's another big the block maximum there from Glenn Maxwell!

Given the quoted article is very light on for detail does anyone know if the "losing $40 million a year" is in direct costs or is it an "opportunity cost" in that they could be making the money by showing something else ?

As has been said elsewhere, the timing of the release of this "report" during the player contract negotations is suss

Red Hill said:

Got a feeling Ch9 will just **** up coverage of the BBL.

Ch10 have given it a really fresh feel, and it's perfect on summer nights kicking back. Fleming, Ponting, MWaugh & Gilly plus Howie and Maher have kept it really chilled, but with the right balance between entertainment and presenting a comp wanting to be taken seriously.

Can already imagine Ch9 bringing in special guests to commentate like Sam Newman and Karl Stephanovic. Ugh.

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I wonder if the coverage plays a role in the popularity of the two contracts. It doesn't exactly surprise me to see the cricket that Nine is covering losing popularity, while the cricket being done anywhere else is booming.

Of course there's a million other factors in play, but for the long term good of the game I think cricket would only benefit from abandoning the atrocious coverage on Nine.

Yet to hear from Channel 7?,they are holding their cards close to their chest,and 7 is the number 1 channel.

God, I think I'd even take 9 over 7. I'd ****ing hate it if 7 gained the coverage.

Channel 7 are zero chance I reckon - the Australian Open does the job for them in promoting their shows during the summer.

Being reported that Channel 10 (despite dismal financial status) is looking to pair with Foxtel to try and grab all the rights. Could see that happening as Channel 9 has been moaning for a while now about the cost of the coverage and it's been reflected to an extent to how jaded their coverage is.

Cost cutting is so easy though.. Dump a bunch of those overpaid commentators and hire Howe, ***** and Marco. Problem solved.

The Hutt Rec said:

I wonder if the coverage plays a role in the popularity of the two contracts. It doesn't exactly surprise me to see the cricket that Nine is covering losing popularity, while the cricket being done anywhere else is booming.

Of course there's a million other factors in play, but for the long term good of the game I think cricket would only benefit from abandoning the atrocious coverage on Nine.

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In fairness to 9, they've been epic for cricket in this country over the long haul. And they're now left with broadcasting tests (which have limited appeal), ODIs (which would be copping a caning in ratings from BBL) and T20Is (which no one seems to really care about).

If 9 get the BBL, they'd do well to keep the format of the coverage pretty much the same as 10's. And if all cricket ended up on 10, they might be able to transfer some of their BBL presentation success into the test coverage.

FWIW I was born in the year 9 started broadcasting cricket and it's really hard to imagine tests not being on 9.