The highly-successful World Cup helped Cricket Australia bank a net surplus of $99 million in the previous financial year.
CA held its annual general meeting at the MCG on Thursday, when outgoing chairman Wally Edwards revealed revenue increased from $295.9m to $380.9m due to the one-day tournament.
“It is one of the great financial years for Cricket Australia. Let’s hope there are many more to come like it,” Edwards said.
“It was the greatest World Cup ever.”
Chief executive James Sutherland was also full of praise for the event, which Australia and New Zealand co-hosted earlier this year.
“Last summer was billed as the biggest ever in the history of Australian cricket and it lived up to that promise,” Sutherland said.
“The World Cup was easily the biggest sporting event this country has seen since the Sydney Olympics.
“The financial benefit from the tournament will be spread over the long term given that staging World Cups in Australia happens only once every 20-25 years.”
A final payment from the cancelled Twenty20 Champions League also formed part of the windfall.
CA outlined long-term investments of $66m resulting from the unprecedented World Cup boon, with a major focus on women and girls’ cricket.
CA will also invest in the diversity of cricket; the upgrading of turf and synthetic wickets for clubs and better development programs for players, coaches and umpires.
The organisation is projecting $1.32 billion revenue from 2013-14 to 2016-17, up from $736m in the previous four-year cycle.
CA’s income fluctuates wildly depending on which nations tour during summer, hence the four-year measurement.
Edwards paid tribute to Phillip Hughes, Richie Benaud, Arthur Morris, Ian Craig and Lindsay Kline – who all died in the previous 12 months.
Camo McD
Roar Guru
It's nice that there is so much money in the game these days but seems strange that the Big 3 get all the benefits while most others struggle financially. The West Indies Cricket Board only generated US $29m in 2014 but will be touring this season presumably helping to generate many times that figure over the Christmas and New Year period for CA. The more teams that are left so far behind financially will just lead to less viable on field opponents and in the long term fans will lose out as we have to watch the same few teams in action.