Cricket Australia will sign a new TV broadcasting agreement within the next 24 months, and negotiations with all three commercial networks are reportedly heating up.
Home internationals across all three formats featuring Australia are still on the anti-siphoning list, which means Fox Sports could be left out in the cold when it comes to signing the new deal, with the current six-year contract to expire to expire at the end of the 2024 summer.
At the centre of the issue and negotiations ahead of the next deal will be the ramping up of both white ball formats in the public interest.
The current $809 million dollar deal over six years has seen all ODI and T20I matches broadcast exclusively by Fox Sports, while only Test matches and a majority of the Big Bash League remained on free to air TV through Channel 7.
Channel 7 have been less than impressed with a Big Bash League that has suffered severe disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic, even attempting to break the contract, with court proceedings occurring.
It's understood the BBL salary cap could double in size next summer, while Test cricket is believed to be the most popular format of the game as negotiations ramp up.
The Sydney Morning Herald are reporting all three major commercial broadcasters are still interested in the cricket, with former broadcaster Channel 9 to make an offer despite just increasing the amount they are paying for the summer of tennis, while a cashed up Channel 10 could out run both 9 and 7 when it comes to dollars.
10 just missed out on the AFL rights earlier this year, with the Paramount-owned company reportedly prepared to part with $600 million per year over a ten-year period for those rights during the negotiations.
“Negotiations are continuing,” a Cricket Australia spokesman told The Sydney Morning Herald, with the second round of submissions for bids due yesterday.
It's unclear where Fox Sports will sit should a free to air broadcaster secure the rights on their own.
Cricket Australia acknowledging the fact limited overs cricket has all but disappeared from the public conscience follows a T20 World Cup where sparse crowds were the normal outside of matches featuring sub-continent natures, and proceeds worries over small crowds during this week's Australia and England ODI series, to be played in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne.
