Seven Cricket Coverage

Television Seven Network
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Dave Barham appointed Head of Cricket

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Seven West Media Chief Executive Tim Worner today announced the appointment of Dave Barham as Seven Network’s Head of Cricket.

Mr Barham is a former Managing Director of AFL Films and Head of Sport for Network Ten. In recent years he was the executive in charge of Ten’s coverage of the Big Bash League and Australian f1 Grand Prix.

Mr Barham’s appointment follows SWM’s historic six-year agreement with Cricket Australia. The deal, which runs from 2018 through to 2024, includes domestic free-to-air broadcast rights to:

• 43 of the 59 Big Bash League matches, including all marquee matches and finals
• All home international tests, including the 2021-22 home Ashes series
• Key Women’s Big Bash League and International matches
• The most prestigious individual prizes in Australian cricket; the Allan Border Medal and Belinda Clark Award.

Mr Worner said: “I am really pleased with our first Cricket signing. There is no-one better placed to lead our coverage than Dave, who has been instrumental in the phenomenal success of the BBL.

“I know Dave has been itching to have a crack at Test cricket for some time, and having heard some of his ideas, next summer can’t come soon enough.

“Everyone at Seven is fired up about Cricket; together with the AFL we now have the number one Summer Sport and the number one Winter Sport, enabling us to deliver brilliant coverage for our viewers, and outstanding commercial results for our shareholders, throughout the entire year.”

Seven’s Head of Sport Saul Shtein said: “I’m a huge fan of Dave’s BBL innovative production which raised the bar for Cricket coverage in Australia. I’m looking forward to welcoming him on board.”

Mr Barham said: “Cricket has been a huge part of my life over the past five years, so I’m thrilled to be joining Seven, the new free-to-air home of cricket.

“In my conversations with Tim it’s very clear he and his team are 100% committed to producing even bigger and better BBL coverage and completely re-energising the Tests, so I can’t wait to get stuck in.”

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A doyen.

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Hopefully he won’t cave in to network or public pressure and put Bruce McAvaney or Hamish McLachlan on the coverage :+1:

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Or go the other, cave into pressure to not put them on the coverage?

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Anybody read that News Ltd article the other week which said Warnie and Lawry were shoe ins for Seven, as well as James Bradshaw and Adam Gilchrist. Also Bruce McAvaney will apparently anchor? Also Dennis Cometti was mentioned.

Utter rubbish IMO.

  1. How could they possibly know that?

  2. Brahma was just announced as cricket chief today?

So is that just Caddock or some News goon in a speculation feat??

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This one?

Quote straight from Worner and reported in a Seven West masthead. Nothing to do with Craddock or News Corp.

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You do realise executives talk on and off the record?

Barham is the head of cricket, yes, but not unreasonable to think Seven executives have been scouting out talent since getting the rights?

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Good suggestion. He is a capable presenter given he has hosted Sydney Weekender for many years.

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No, this one:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/cricket/seven-fox-start-their-pitches-to-secure-cricket-commentators-will-bill-lawry-and-shane-warne-likely-only-survivors-from-channel-nine/news-story/fb8df4d458782bc86e7f502fe9d5ba1d&ved=2ahUKEwid-qnYv9faAhXIx7wKHTWECz4QFjAAegQIBhAB&usg=AOvVaw2B1CO_SiKDKRJ9viEZhiTy

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Latest:
https://www.dailymercury.com.au/news/channel-7-recruits-former-network-10-sport-guru/3397900/

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Have Ten issued any statement today? The least they could do is thank Barham, for all his work over the years.

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My thinking exactly. I forgot about him and his cricket background since he’s been tucked away on Sydney Weekender all these years. Sydney viewers should be very familiar with him at least.

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Not tucked away. He’s out and proud.

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Maybe what Mitch was getting at is his show is only broadcast to NSW viewers (and on 7Two nationally with the other local versions overnight or daytime).

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And the fact that his talent is being wasted just being on a half-hour long lifestyle show that isn’t really in primetime so he wouldn’t be getting much national exposure, thus I say he is ‘tucked away’. How many people actually watch Sydney Weekender anyway? I assume not many given Seven News’ ratings on average in Sydney.

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I know he has a cricketing background but as a TV presenter, I’m pretty sure this would be the general response if you asked people outside of Sydney/NSW who Mike Whitney is:

“Isn’t he that guy who was on Gladiators and Who Dares Wins back in the '90s?”

He would’ve been a relevant Seven Network presenter to a national audience…about 20 years ago! :stuck_out_tongue:

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Getting Dave Bartham is a good first step for Seven - if they’re smart, they should let him develop their coverage without interference considering what he did with the BBL at Ten

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That wasn’t Mitchell’s point, at least I don’t think it was.

What I’m saying, I don’t see Mike, as his show is only broadcast in a key slot in NSW. Wish I did see him, but the reality it we don’t here.

So yep, if he wanted to get back into cricket life somehow, I reckon Seven execs should at least approach him.

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I reckon Nathan Templeton would be a fantastic choice, as roving reporter (field interviews, etc).

He was excellent at Gold Coast 2018, almost the best thing and biggest surprise about the coverage!

I recall he covered cricket for Sports Tonight / Ten News back in the day. Very experienced.

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The international summer schedule has just been announced by Cricket Australia for men’s and women’s matches to be played from September 2018 to March 2019.

It looks like the first match to be broadcast by Seven as part of the new cricket deal is a women’s T20 against New Zealand at North Sydney Oval on 29 September, which will follow Seven’s coverage of the AFL grand final that afternoon.

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That opening women’s T20 match is a smart scheduling move by CA and Seven - it should get a decent audience off the back of the AFL GF

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Looking at the schedule, the day/night test with Sri Lanka (January 24 - 28) will overlap with the 2nd week of the Australian Open. This means assuming Seven doesn’t on-sell the AO rights, they’ll have some decisions to make regarding how they’ll juggle covering the test and the AO finals

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