Banished David Warner helps players reap TV spoils

David Warner may be the banished bad boy of Australian cricket but his off-field fight in last year's pay war with Cricket Australia has helped to reap all players the spoils they had craved. The Australian Cricketers Association is awaiting the finer details of cricket's new broadcast rights deal with Channel Seven and Foxtel but the reasoning behind the ACA's commitment last year to ensuring the pay model of two decades was preserved was highlighted on Friday in a $1.2 billion broadcast rights deal. CA had wanted to largely torpedo the set-percentage model developed in 1997, although that was later altered amid an ugly fight with the players. The players ultimately won the battle, and will pocket about 27.5 per cent of the game's revenues. A record broadcast rights deal, up from $500 million on the recently-expired five-year deal, will mean the benefits the players fought for and CA signed off on will be met. Under the modernised revenue-sharing formula, a forecast player payment pool of $459 million, based on the assumption there would be Australian cricket revenue of $1.67 billion, is almost guaranteed to be met. This covers male and female players. The men's and women's national teams will also share in a performance pool. Overall female player payments have increased from $7.5 million to $55.2 million. If Australian cricket revenue jumps from $1.67 billion to $1.96 billion, players are to receive 19 per cent of the added money, with grassroots cricket to be given 8.5 per cent. If the $1.96 billion is exceeded, male and female players receive an added 27.5 per cent. After weeks of rugged negotiations, CA chief executive James Sutherland said the broadcast rights deal would also help the sport deliver its five-year strategy, with one aim to be the country's favourite sport.

The AB & BC awards night will be broadcast on Seven and Fox Sports

The Allan Border & Belinda Clark Medal Night will be broadcast live on both Seven and Fox Sports. The agreement marks the first time in 40 years that Channel Nine has not broadcast the Australian summer of cricket. However, the network already has deals in place to broadcast the 2019 Ashes series in England, the 2019 World Cup in the UK and the mens' and women's 2020 World T20 tournaments in Australia. "Our thanks go to Channel Nine, who for more than 40 years has broadcast international cricket at a world-renowned standard – and in so doing has done more to promote our sport than any organisation in Australian cricket history," Sutherland said. "Our sincere thanks also to Network Ten for their role in taking the Big Bash League to a new level, and for so willingly providing a platform to launch and grow the Women’s Big Bash League. As a startup League, the BBL is a phenomenal success story. Over the last five years Ten has made an extraordinary contribution to the league and its growth in bringing new fans to cricket. "We have nothing but gratitude and respect for Nine and Ten – and sincerely thank them for their contribution to our sport. "We’re very excited about what the future holds with both Fox Sports and Seven West Media."

Cricket Australia say the new deal will see more cricket on free-to-air television than ever before

Cricket Australia has put a tough couple of weeks behind it with a massive new $1.2 billion TV rights deal, which puts ODIs and T20 Internationals behind a pay wall for the first time. The joint bid between free-to-air operator Seven West Media and pay-TV's Foxtel divides up coverage of all forms of men's and women's cricket over six years and is double the previous $600 million rights package with the Nine Network. However, the move to take the 50-over One Day and T20 Internationals behind a pay wall faces significant regulatory hurdles. Both shorter forms of the international game are included in the Federal Government's anti-siphoning list, which requires that they be available on free-to-air television. Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said he would be working through the regulatory requirements with the government. "One Day Internationals will be on Fox Sports and we are working with Fox Sports to come to a landing point for the regulatory requirements," Mr Sutherland said. "Certainly the [communications] minister is aware of it." Mr Sutherland said the important point was there would be more cricket than ever on free-to-air television. "The amount of cricket across Foxtel and Seven, the amount of free-to-air cricket is greater than ever before — there is a commitment to women's cricket, Tests, 23 women's big bash league matches[will now be covered]", Mr Sutherland said. "We will have more content on television over the next 5 years than ever before. "Some of this is a significant uplift in revenue, but we have balanced that with an increased amount of cricket being made available to the public," Mr Sutherland said.

Nine ends four decades as cricket host broadcaster

Nine has confirmed an end to its four decade association as the host broadcaster of cricket in Australia. Beginning with World Series Cricket in 1977, the network has revolutionised coverage of the game, bringing more than 200 Test matches to Australian viewers. “Nine is immensely proud of our decades long association between Wide World of Sports and the game of cricket in this country. We wish Cricket Australia and its new broadcast partners well for the future success of the game,” a spokesperson said. “Cricket will continue to be a part of Nine’s schedule into the future with current deals in place covering the next ashes series from England in 2019, the ODI World Cup in the UK in the same year and in 2020 the T20 World Cups to be held in Australia.  “But most of all Nine is excited by our new partnership with Tennis Australia. A partnership that enables us to further evolve our business model into a new future.  A partnership built on common values and vision to mutually build the game and Nine's business as we connect with more audiences the way they choose. “Our focus remains on the cross platform opportunities in front of us and finding the best ways to continue to create value for our shareholders in to the future.” Nine recently signed a five-year deal with Tennis Australia from 2020 to 2024.

Seven, Foxtel pay $1.2bn on cricket rights

The Seven Network and Foxtel have won the bidding war for cricket's TV rights, paying almost $1.2 billion and ending the four-decade relationship between the sport and the Nine Network. Seven West Media confirmed on Friday that it and Foxtel had won the rights to Australian international cricket matches, with contracts being finalised by the afternoon. Cricket Australia says the deal is worth almost $1.2 billion over six years. Seven's share is $450 million over the period, with Foxtel paying the balance. Conceding defeat, Nine said it is "immensely proud" of its long association with the sport and wished Cricket Australia (CA) and its new broadcast partners well, while CBS-owned Ten said it is disappointed that its bid had been rejected. Nine said while it would not have Australian international matches from next summer, the rights loss would have no impact on its 2018 financial results. The network said it could not indicate whether there will be an impact on its results in 2019. After dropping in early trade Nine shares were one cent higher at $2.26 at 1348 AEST but Seven West shares were 10.1 per cent higher at 56.75 cents. Under the deal it is expected Foxtel will have exclusive rights to some Big Bash League (BBL) matches while simulcasting tests and limited overs matches. Nine's loss of cricket comes after it won Australian tennis broadcasting rights in a $300 million coup, ending Seven's four-decade hold on televising the Australian Open.