Really hate them. The recent Sky Sports inspired ones were amazing. Better than Fox’s graphics two seasons ago.
The Sheffield Shield games are Cricket Australia-produced despite the Fox Cricket logo, and they’ve never had the Fox Cricket graphics (besides the final which gets proper handling by Fox), but these are… certainly different to the usual, and to the previous Cricket Network graphics.
I’m not sure whether the One-Day Cup gets similar treatment given its demotion in importance in recent years.
I don’t mind these graphics for the Shield, but only because I know not to expect much - it’s not like CA’s or state associations’ budgets go beyond having cameras at one end after all.
The same reasoning could’ve certainly applied for the previous graphics of course - but I’m just not sure whether I’m just bored of most of the broadcasters doing the same or similar thing, and having done so for more than a decade (probably Sky NZ the one major holdout to that before they lost the rights to Spark). Only certain number of ways you can package cricket though, I guess, especially longer forms thereof.
It’s pretty sad to see where the state of domestic cricket is in Australia at the moment, in regard to broadcasting.
Once upon a time, it was huge on channel 9 and Fox Sports. They had the old “Hit the Sign” and crowd catches which were always a highlight to see. I always use to look forward to watching the Mercantile Mutual Cup on 9 or even the Matador BBQs Cup on Fox Sports.
Now the presentation has dwindled to a 3 or 4 camera setup in front of nobody with no fun gimmicks to entice crowds to attend or viewers to watch.
Hopefully something comes around to rejuvenate the competition back to its former glory days!
Cricket authorities would probably suggest “we have that, it’s called the BBL and T20 cricket” (if not even shorter forms like The Hundred). Test cricket is problematic enough in some places, but even 50-over cricket is caught in a no-mans land, now it’s been shown that a “full” game can be shoved into a three-hour prime time slot.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the longer forms are suddenly “invalid”, but when it’s having to be packaged up as advertiser-attractive “entertainment” and trying to pull in “non-legacy fans” and so on - this is what you kinda get.
There is certainly a little bit of rose-coloured nostalgia about Merc Mutual Cup games being basically Sunday filler for Nine during the summer while growing up, though, what with Hit the Sign and catch-a-six crowd bonuses and whatnot. Perhaps the fact that it extended through most of the summer (wrapped around the international season at least), rather than being shoved into a six-week period, helped a little in that respect of that nostalgia.
Of course, once Packer passed on, all bets were likely off with that in a way.
True that.
I guess with the introduction of Twenty20 cricket, the domestic 50 overs competition has pretty much diminished somewhat.
Arguably, all 50-over cricket including international (ODIs) are diminished. I’m pretty sure the only reason the current domestic 50-over competition exists today is due to the ICC. Cricket Australia would have axed it years ago.
Something you’d never see in Australia…
Stations referencing coverage on other networks ( as per graphic in bottom left). Commentators also referenced other stations by name too.
Yes well the NFL would arguably have a better rights deal than anything we have here with these shitty simulcast deals beholden to foxtel.
I think this is an NFL requirement.
It has been seen.
I do recall Channel 9 promoting Foxtel’s exclusive tour of South Africa on the coverage in a late season ODI one year.
They did have share in Fox at that time under Packer ownership
Also before multi channels, they gave up coverage to Fox for those neutral tri series matches which had them advise viewers that the game was on Fox Sports
Are there any clips of that?
Rob Moody would have them somewhere
wasn’t sure of correct thread
It has been discussed on Sky Racing thread, because its parent company Tabcorp is bidding for the overall TV rights to Melbourne Cup carnival.
A big night and days/week of sport, especially for Nine! SOO, Ashes, Wimbledon, AFL, NRL, TDF, horse racing, women’s Ashes/Origin and women’s FIFA World Cup around the corner
I’ll be surfing between AFL, Ashes and Wimbledon (aussie Vukic ETA 8pm est and de Minaur’s match was suspended will also resume he’s 2-1 sets up but the Murray v Tistsipas showdown not until the wee hours)…
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https://twitter.com/missmwhitton_/status/1676878216638889985?s=19
https://twitter.com/AdamHawse/status/1676898458433908736?s=19
Moving the discussion from the Women’s World Cup coverage thread
That gets me thinking, since the 2026 FIFA World Cup will expand to 48 teams for group stage, and the total number of matches will increase from 64 to 104, the rights fee will be so high that not a single Australian network (including long-time broadcaster SBS) will be able to afford. I reckon that two networks will have to band together to bid for the rights to the tournament and split the matches, similar to World Cup TV coverage in Britain where it is shared between BBC and ITV.
Puts 10/Paramount and 9/Stan in the box seat.
They won’t be sharing.
SBS won’t be able to afford all matches. It has outgrown them. It’ll be shared between two FTA networks like in the UK. 9 having selected matches and another network airing matches for example.
I am not sure if World Cup will be on Nine’s priority, given it has paid so much for the next five Olympic Games up to 2032, has recently renewed the Australian Open tennis rights, and with the NRL TV rights up for renewal soon.