This is about the BBL though
The article mentions Tests too
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BBL comes out swinging on Seven
Season opener reaches 1.9 million
The new season of the BBL got off to a cracking start last night, with the Seven Network’s live and free coverage of the showdown between the Brisbane Heat and the Melbourne Stars at the Gabba reaching 1.9 million Australians.
The Heat’s triumph over the Stars pulled an average of 504,000 viewers nationally and ranked #1 in its timeslot in all people, 25 to 54s and 16 to 39s. Seven was the most-watched network last night, with a commanding 41.1% national commercial audience share.
Seven’s audience for the opening match of BBL|13 was up 4% on the 2022-23 opener.
Managing Director Seven Melbourne and Head of Network Sport, Lewis Martin said: “The Big Bash started with a bang last night and we’re rapt that almost two milliion Australians tuned into Seven’s live and free coverage from the Gabba, led by cricket’s #1 commentary team.”
“Seven’s unbeatable live and free coverage of the Heat v Stars match in front of a huge crowd at the Gabba reminds us of just how much we love cricket, and why it remains Australia’s favourite summer sport.
“With five BBL 13 games over the next six nights, before our national Test team face Pakistan in the West Test on Thursday, Seven’s Summer of Cricket is heating up, and it’s only going to get hotter,” he said.
“Big crowds, big players and big audiences. The Big Bash is back!”
BBL|13 is shaping up as one of the best yet. Across 34 prime-time nights, including all four finals, Seven will deliver every moment of cricket’s most exciting competition, live and free to Australians across the nation.
Last night’s opener marked the start of a blockbuster week of live and free cricket on Seven, with six BBL matches across seven days in the lead up to the West Test between Australia and Pakistan at Optus Stadium.
On 11 days of the season, live and free BBL matches will follow stumps in Australia’s Test series, including two mega days featuring back-to-back BBL clashes on top of a full day’s play on Day One of the Boxing Day and Sydney Tests.
The home and away fixture concludes on Wednesday, 17 January with a huge match at Sydney Showgrounds Stadium between the Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Renegades.
The four-match finals series begins on Friday, 19 January, with the all-important Final scheduled for Wednesday, 24 January.
Throughout the 2023-24 BBL season, cricket fans will once again be treated to Seven’s The Spin, hosted by Lisa Sthalekar, Jason Richardson and Brad Hodge, every Thursday on Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus.
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Tonight’s Renegades-Scorchers match telecast at Geelong finished early, with the match abandoned after 6.5 overs of Scorchers’ innings due to unsafe pitch.
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Lawyers called at 8:01pm last night?
Seven won’t like this one bit!
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I have to admit it was a pretty bad look. Has anything like this ever happened before in Aus? I know it has overseas.
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Not to that level for a long time. CA really need to look into, two different locations and the same thing happened, water got under the covers and flooded the pitch.
Real club cricket kind of stuff up this.
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Another early finish to a test match will be disappointing for Seven.
Slide still showed in Queensland even though coverage had finished.
Next test is Boxing Day
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Aussies’ win over Pakistan scores for Seven
First Test reaches 5.97 million viewers
The Seven Network’s live and free coverage of Australia’s historic victory over Pakistan in the West Test at Optus Stadium hooked viewers, reaching 5.97 million Australians nationally and averaging a daily peak audience of 894,000 viewers.
Over an action-packed four days of play, the Aussies dominated the travelling side, smashing records in the process.
In an incredible display, David Warner silenced his critics with an outstanding century on day one, before falling for a duck on his return in Australia’s second innings.
Then, in a history-making moment, after ending day three on 499, Aussie offspinner Nathan Lyon reached a monumental milestone, becoming just the eighth man in Test cricket to take 500 wickets, cementing him in rarified air alongside fellow Australian greats Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.
With an average broadcast audience of 631,000 viewers, the West Test dominated its timeslots – ranking #1 in all people, 25 to 54s and 16 to 39s – and was up 24% on last year’s opening Test.
Session two on the fourth day of the Test saw the biggest audience, with 885,000 viewers nationally and a reach of 1.8 million.
Managing Director Seven Melbourne and Head of Network Sport, Lewis Martin, said: “Following an historic first Test headlined by Nathan Lyon’s incredible feat, Seven’s summer of cricket still has so much more to deliver, live and free to all Australians.
“As we await the next instalment of the Australia v Pakistan series at the Boxing Day Test, the excitement continues as the Big Bash League makes its triumphant return at 7.00pm AEDT tomorrow night for the first of three consecutive prime time nights, live and free on Seven.
“Big crowds, big names and big audiences, BBL is back and bigger than ever. From breaking bats to bucket hats and huge celebrations in front of roaring crowds – this isn’t your grandfather’s game,” he said.
“From cricket’s traditional format straight through to the fiery action of the Big Bash for the next three nights – there is no better place to be than Seven, Your Home of Cricket.”
Australia and Pakistan face off again from 26 December, when the Boxing Day Test starts at the MCG, live and free on Channel 7 and 7mate. The third Test arrives on 3 January, at the SCG.
From Wednesday, 14 January, Seven’s cricket team will head to Adelaide Oval for the first of two Tests between Australia and the West Indies. With a Test rivalry dating back to 1930, Australia and the West Indies have produced some of sport’s most memorable moments – and next January will be no exception.
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Did it really? At least all of them? Regardless, this press release screams unnecessary and desperation, getting in before a masthead runs an article on the weak ratings thus far, including BBL.
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Which masthead will run that type of story? Fox/Murdoch aren’t bidding for rights, so these stories won’t be happening for another 5yrs when they talk down cricket again.
Nine, won’t care a bit, they are focused on tennis.
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14 January is not a Wednesday.
It’s my birthday and it’s a Sunday this year
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I heard this reported a day or so later on community radio news. It was in the context of “only 60,000 spectators at the Perth game but Cricket Australia says were 6 million watching on tv”.
The crowd numbers have brought a lot of criticism.
Crowd shot, or an insight into Australia’s waning interest in Test cricket? (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
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I’m sorry?
Reach number from Seven was what was used on the radio report.
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Cricket Australia logo replaces the Fox Cricket logos. 
Sydney Thunder captain Chris Green joining Seven’s commentary team for Sixers v Stars at the SCG tonight. Emma Freedman hosting the telecast.
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