SYDNEY – Cricket Australia has signed a new six-year broadcast agreementworth A$1.2 billion (£655.7 million), the board said on Friday, allayingfears of a financial blow in the wake of last month’s ball-tamperingscandal in South Africa.
Broadcaster Seven West Media and pay television company Foxtel, which isjointly owned by News Corp and Telstra Corp, secured the media rights,taking over from long-term cricket broadcaster Nine Entertainment .
The deal was negotiated amid the fallout from the test match in SouthAfrica during which Australia’s players hatched a plan to tamper with theball, only to be caught by cameras.
Three players, including then captain Steve Smith, have been suspended.
Cricket Australia (CA) Chief Executive James Sutherland said the issue ofrestoring the team’s reputation had been discussed.
“We’ve obviously got some rebuilding to do, but it is something that we’vespoken to both Fox and Seven about,” Sutherland told reporters in Sydney onFriday.
“We are delighted to have them as partners; they are committed to usrebuilding that trust and confidence, not just for Cricket Australia as anorganisation and cricket as a sport but also through our players.”
CA said in a statement on Friday that the broadcast and digital deal wasworth A$1.18 billion over six years. It was not immediately clear how thefigure was calculated.
Seven said in a statement to shareholders that its share of the annual cashrights cost was A$75 million. Shares in broadcaster Seven were up more than12 percent on Friday, while Nine’s share price was flat. – Agencies