Isn’t their studio for AFL and Cricket in South Melb?
I presumed it was with their main building next to Marvel and Sthn Cross, but I’m not 100% sure so you may be right.
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Weren’t they calling out of the NEP facilities?
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I was under the impression it was coming out of NEP South Melbourne studios.
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Correct
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Watched some BBL tonight for the first time in ages. Enjoyed the game and the presentation. The young Heat player who did the interviewing at the end of the game was very good… entertaining.
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Only downside of the Brisbane promo is that both the audio and on screen text, say it’s a big day of cricket with the test and Big Bash, on 7mate.
Which isn’t exactly accurate. Both start their respective coverage on 7mate, but then change to the main channel.
I guess we can’t have it all 
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7 & Fox has won the rights until 2030-31. Hopefully 7 updates their graphics since they are happy to have cricket & might put in more effort
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Watched some more BBL late night. Felt the presentation and commentary was quite positive and upbeat.
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I’m also hoping the new deal will mean they remove one of my biggest gripes with their broadcast.
Which is that they don’t remove the score graphics when showing a replay & it looks like it’s live play.
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They could put a big R surrounded by a circle - like the old times 
Think the effort from the production team for their Test coverage can’t really be faulted that much, it’s the BBL where both 7 and Fox have slacked off with off-tube coverage which is literally phoning it in.
More than a change of graphics, they need to tweak some aspects of their coverage. I’d recommend a couple of things mainly:
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Remove Mel McLaughlin as the face of the Test coverage, she can take a role as reporter or stay on as part of the BBL team but she lacks both gravitas (which is a bit surprising given she has experience presenting cricket since 2013) and charm to present the cricket, I suspect even Abbey Gelmi could do a better job than Mel as presenter
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Replace some or all of Fleming, Blewett, and Hayden from the Test commentary team, there’s much of a muchness about them given that they all generally belong to the same era of cricket and all the anecdotes and perspectives from the Taylor and Waugh eras get a bit trite after a fashion, there need to be some fresher voices bringing insight from the last decade or so (perhaps someone such as Shane Watson who has been surprisingly insightful on the ICC coverage over the last few years)
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Yes
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Agree that their tests have been great but they haven’t changed anything graphics wise since they began. So maybe they can have a small update or refresh to those.
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Seven (and Foxtel in the sense of potentially acquiring their talent and CA being the overarchers) have found themselves in a complicated situation, made only by them under previous management.
Then head of sport Saul Shtein hired Dave Barham as head of cricket once they got cricket, no doubt in the hope of emulating Ten’s BBL success, he put essentially the entire on-air and off-air (with Seven’s oversight and own staff too) together, spending much of 2018 in a rented Southbank office putting his mind/magic to work, as ESPNCricInfo did a piece at the time. Ponting, Fleming, Maher, Sthalekar, even Tim Lane from Ten’ AFL days, all mates with Barham. Then, right before or at the commencement of their first summer 2018-2019, Barham took unexplained extended leave and disappeared, eventually many months or a year later it was quietly confirmed somewhere he’d departed.
Also not long after, then Seven CEO Tim Worner quit (and there was the executive assistant scandal), Saul Shtein was let go by new CEO James Warburton and 50 year employee Colin Southey (who ran Seven Sport’s base in Melbourne) retired. Leaving things in a bit of a mess, because no doubt Warburton, Lewis Martin and Chris Jones (Seven Sport’s head of cricket and original EP under Dave Barham) might’ve had their own ideas in terms of crew, talent, direction and presentation etc. Talent all would’ve had contracts and after a couple of summers, would’ve been pointless and harmful to get rid of their whole team and start fresh. That’s where there’s at least some passion and drive at Seven and Foxtel, from the likes of Ponting, Fleming, Gilchrist, Howie who all genuinely seem like they want to be there and see success, no matter how much they loved Ten and say Seven’s faults.
So to me, certainly since 2019-2020 summer, there’s always been that vibe that everything is a bit mish-mashed together, a once strong vision quickly crumbled away. It probably all started poorly being the wrong network to begin with (Ten from 2018 would’ve been great) but after the genius that is Barham went, that creative vision went with it. And what you got was an old Seven and Seven only sport production, as generic and standard as any of their others (calling: CMO!) but only with cricket tweaks and everything Barham had set up, talent and visually, which remains.
So in saying all this, a complete ‘refresh’ (at least once the new deal kicks in) wouldn’t be a bad idea, clearly ditch what isn’t working or looks drab, try to improve what is and add some new angles so to speak.
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Seven opened their coverage with Nick Hockley from CA this morning to talk about the new rights deal.
Tim Lane also off crook today they said with Al Nicholson called in to start commentary with Ricky Ponting and Jonty Rhodes.
Also - for the parochialism in me, good to see two proud Northern Tassie boys in the commentary box!
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Will pucovski was also involved in the coverage, so at least for today, both Nicholson & Pucovski doing test.
It could be because they are doing the BBL at North Sydney between the Sixers & Heat so they are also involved with the test for at least the morning
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Fox removes score graphics on replays.
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