The Australian international summer of cricket will remain on ABC radio for at least six years after a new radio broadcast deal was announced by Cricket Australia.
There were reports that the ABC was set to lose the rights for the first time in eight decades however Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland slammed the rumours.
“We were very disappointed by inaccurate reporting this week suggesting that the ABC would no longer broadcast cricket. It undermined our commitment to the ABC and the ABC’s longstanding commitment to cricket,” Sutherland said.
“Never for a minute had it crossed our minds that the ABC was not a staple in the Australian cricketing summer.”
Instead, ABC’s coverage will be extended to include guaranteed national coverage of all Women’s International and WBBL matches.
As well as the ABC, Cricket Australia has signed on commercial partners in Macquarie Media Limited (MML) and Crocmedia to cover the summer of cricket.
While Macquarie Media will carry metropolitan coverage of the international summer, Crocmedia is the exclusive commercial radio partner for regional areas.
“Radio has long been an important part of how people enjoy cricket in Australia over the summer, and the breadth and depth of these agreements ensures that people will be able to tune in to the cricket action regardless of where they are,” Sutherland said.
“In addition to continued commitments around the broadcast of Women’s International matches, it is pleasing to have secured radio coverage for all WBBL matches, a clear sign of the rapidly growing interest from fans for the competition.”
ABC:
Women’s Internationals, Men’s Internationals, Women’s Big Bash League, Prime Minister’s XI, Governor General’s XI
Macquarie Media Limited:
Women’s Internationals, Men’s Internationals, Big Bash League
Crocmedia on SEN 1116:
Men’s Tests, Big Bash League
Paul
Roar Guru
Sutherland's an accountant by trade so he's likely to want to squeeze every dollar he can from any contract. As for his resignation, that came 5 years too late.
BrainsTrust
Guest
Radio coverage is hardly the crown jewels economically . No doubt that Sutherland would have tried to it on as a negotiating tactic to squeeze more money out of the ABC, but its not something you would imagine he would try to get away with at this stage...I wonder if his resignation has something to do with this.
Paul
Roar Guru
That was some gutless reporting to suggest the ABC would not have radio coverage of the cricket. Hard to expect any thing better from the Australian press - they're best summed up in 2 words - hope less.
Tigerbill44
Roar Guru
'The sound of summer is cricke't was ABC''s famous slogan of y esteryears.