The new $1.182 billion-dollar TV deal signed in April by the Seven Network and Fox Sports is the change Australian Cricket broadcasting desperately needed.
This deal sees Seven and Fox Sports jointly broadcast all Test Matches, all women’s internationals, 43 of 59 men’s Big Bash Games, 23 women’s Big Bash Games (including all Big Bash finals), as well as the Allan Border and Belinda Clark medal night.
It also sees Fox Sports exclusively televise all men’s one-day international and T20 international matches, plus the remaining 16 men’s Big Bash League matches which are not shown on Seven.
Fox Sports will also exclusively broadcast the PM’s XI and GG’s XI games, JLT One-Day Cup and Sheffield Shield final.
There has been a lot of outrage over one-day International and T20 international matches not being available on free-to-air TV.
According to the anti-siphoning laws; ODI and T20 matches are listed.
The anti-siphoning gives free-to-air networks the right to first negotiate the rights these events. However, Seven obviously must have not wanted them so they worked around a way for these games to be exclusively on pay-TV.
Also, Fox Sports have the exclusive digital streaming rights – meaning Seven will not stream cricket on its 7Plus app.
I don’t know why Seven wouldn’t get streaming rights.
Streaming is what a lot of Australians do these days and not being able to watch cricket for free on your phone is a significant disappointment.
I reckon the Big Bash needs to have a four-match finals system, with the format to be;
Qualifying final: first versus second at home ground of first place
Winner goes straight through to grand final, loser plays in preliminary final
Elimination final: third versus fourth at home ground of third place
Loser is eliminated, winner plays in preliminary final
Preliminary final at home ground of loser of qualifying final
Loser is eliminated, winner plays winner of qualifying final in grand final
Grand final at home ground of winner of qualifying final
If this finals system was in place, it would see 60 matches in the BBL season instead of 59.
This is how I believe the broadcast deal should’ve been done.
Seven and Fox
Men’s Test matches, men’s ODI Matches, men’s T20 international matches, women’s Test matches, women’s ODI matches, women’s T20 international matches, 36 regular season men’s Big Bash matches, 24 regular season women’s Big Bash matches
Exclusive to Seven
Men’s Big Bash finals, women’s big bash finals
Exclusive to Foxtel
20 regular season men’s Big Bash matches, JLT Cup, PM XI, GG XI, Sheffield Shield final
In my deal, it sees all men’s and women’s international matches televised by both Seven and Fox.
There would be 36 men’s round BBL games and 24 women’s round BBL games jointly on Seven and Fox, while the remaining 20 men’s games would be exclusively on Fox Sports.
The men’s and women’s Big Bash finals would exclusively be on Seven, however.
Even though it’s fewer BBL matches on free-to-air television, all international cricket is on free-to-air.
Roarers, what are your thoughts? Is this proposed TV deal better than the existing one?
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
The mammoth rise of Jake Fraser-McGurk - his enormous potential and the destructive shot-making that he possesses makes him a very tempting option.
Marcus Stoinis produced his first IPL century and it was a beauty. He went 6, 4, 4, 4 to finish off the Lucknow Super…
Xavier Bartlett has been permission to extend his cricketing education with a spell of T20s in England, playing in the Blast competition for Kent…
Three-Test spinner Matthew Kuhnemann has signed with Tasmania in a bid for red-ball game time ahead of Australia's tour of Sri Lanka next summer.…
Last week, you read about the Matt XI, a compilation of the best cricketers ever to represent the name Matt. And to be fair,…
The Aussie needed every centimetre of his height and reach to reel that one in!
