Cricket television rights 2018 (Foxtel/Seven)

Fox Sports is promoting its European soccer coverage at the moment. The various competitions (plus the A-League) go right though the summer, but if Fox Sports is still looking for cricket to attract subscribers then its current promo campaign is failing.

Are we not considering Ch 7?

I mean I know the Australian Open is a large chunk, money & effort in their Summer schedule (especially focus, as it heavily promotes & leads-into My Kitchen Rules)…

But Ch 7 are the richest TV network with #1 ratings to back it up.

Not to mention their ‘home of sport’ staple already.

Thoughts? Would they bid?

Seven also have golf commitments around Late November/Early December to consider as well as the tennis, so I doubt they’ll be making a bid for cricket.

Made me lol.

The Australian reports today that Cricket Australia is planning to lobby the Turnbull government to gain more flexibility over short-form inter­national matches on the anti-­siphoning list as it prepares to open talks on a new rights deal. If the proposal gets the green light, it could mean some home ODI (and even Twenty20) matches could be shown exclusively on Fox Sports. Cricket fans will lose out as they will have to pay to see the matches, either at the venue or subscribe to CA Live Pass or Foxtel.

Good way to get Fox Sports on board again and extract even more money from broadcasters.

Fox Sports needs this.

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Nine will have mixed feeling on CA’s proposal. ODIs still pull decent audiences for Nine at night, but when they are scheduled during ratings season it could interrupt Nine’s regular primetime line-up. Also Nine had paid $450 million for the current cricket broadcast rights, it would not want to pay much more than this amount to keep them.

Crowds and ratings for the recent ODIs haven’t been too flash - probably because they’re played during near the end of the BBL season and the BBL is growing rapidly in popularity. A move to Foxtel will cause interest, crowds and ratings to just drop off. Nobody will be interested.

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If it is only ODI’s I can understand Cricket Australia’s move. They have really lost a lot of viewers since the induction of 20/20 matches. Test matches seem to, and will always, have the pulling power but the 50 over matches are very long days. 20/20 is going to become the future.

If Nine gets the BBL, the BBL is finished.

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Please explain?

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Nine’s coverage is old and boring even for test cricket. I can’t imagine what their coverage of BBL would be like.

Ten at least treat the game well, because it’s all they’ve got.

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A mate here at work, who has been watching the Optus EPL coverage, says optus are showing ads for a cricket channel , starting November 1st?

I wonder if there is any more news on this?

If they were really the future they wouldn’t have scheduled a game against Sri Lanka the night before the test team starts a series in India meaning the team would be basically unrecognisable, nor would they have agreed to squeeze in 6 extra 50 over games against NZ (3 over here before Christmas, 3 over there after a 5 game Pakistan series) or for that matter 5 games in South Africa in the past fortnight. Plus the money for 20 over games is in Franchise based leagues (Pakistan have just started one this year) rather than internationals which in so many ways are just an add on.

Is there a chance, seeing as Ch 10 are desperate for more bigger sport & their ratings growth…

They’ll plan ahead, go all out & out bid Ch 9?

(i.e.) getting the rights to all the cricket :raised_hands:

Ten need winter sports more than summer.

I would be very surprised if Ten didn’t make an effort to bid for all the Cricket rights along with Foxtel, especially considering Foxtel can now air ODI games.

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And especially seeing as Ch 10 aren’t going to get AFL or NRL (and associated games) for at least 6 years!

When does the Australian Open & Melbourne Cup come up for renewal?

We know the Australian F1 Grand Prix always gets massive ratings, particularly in Melbourne & Ch 10 usually showcase their shows/stars for the year. (Celebrities, including international usually show up).

Considering what Hugh Marks has said recently about Nine being reluctant to pay much more for the international cricket rights, there’s a strong chance that Ten could secure all of the cricket rights either in a partnership with Fox Sports or alone.

It’s worth remembering that if Nine didn’t had a ‘last rights’ clause in their last contract, Ten would had won both international & BBL rights in the last auction. Nine had to invoke the clause in order to secure the international rights for the current period.

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Where would this leave Ch 9 for sports coverage annually?

Rugby league, is that it?