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CA announces new broadcast deal

Seven and Fox Sports sign six-year deal that includes expanded BBL season and landmark agreement for women's cricket

The Seven Network and Fox Sports will broadcast the Australian summer of cricket for the next six years after signing a deal with Cricket Australia worth $1.182 billion.

Seven takes over the free-to-air rights from the Nine and Ten networks and will broadcast all men's Test matches and all Commonwealth Bank women's internationals as well as 43 KFC Big Bash League and 23 Rebel Women's BBL games each season.

Image Id: CBB01FE3DEE84C0D9EE9968291FFBEFB Image Caption: There will be more women's cricket on TV under the new deal // Getty

The deal represents the first time that all women's international matches are guaranteed to be shown on free-to-air television.

"What we are particularly proud of in this partnership is the focus on extending our broadcast coverage of women’s matches," said Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland.

"Our partners are key to inspiring more women and girls to pick up a bat and ball. If more elite content is accessible to fans be it on TV or through their mobile devices, we’re helping tap into new audiences to attract them to the sport."

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The Gillette men's one-day and T20 internationals will be shown exclusively on Fox Sports, as will the remaining 16 men's BBL matches not shown on Seven.

Fox Sports will also show the matches that will be broadcast on free-to-air by Seven – all men's Tests, all women's internationals, the 43 BBL matches and 23 WBBL games – as part of a deal that includes a dedicated Fox Sports cricket channel.

The BBL has been expanded to a full home-and-away season - a total of 59 matches – which means the number of BBL games shown on free-to-air television (43) remains the same as last summer.

Image Id: 9F581BAA2F454008910D2F813FF8D531 Image Caption: The BBL has been expanded to a full home-and-away season // Getty

The 36 WBBL games not shown on Seven and Fox Sports will be live streamed on Cricket Network through cricket.com.au and the CA Live App.

The deal also includes a new digital partnership between Fox Sports and Cricket Network, which guarantees Cricket Australia’s digital channels will continue to carry on-demand highlights of all cricket played in Australia. Fox Sports will also have digital rights for its platforms.

Cricket Network will also offer exclusive broadcast-quality streaming of other matches not shown on Seven or Fox Sports, including some international tour matches as well as non-broadcast JLT Sheffield Shield and JLT One-Day Cup games. 

In addition to their coverage of international and domestic matches, Fox Sports will broadcast the Shield final and 13 One-Day Cup games as well as some international tour matches.

Image Id: 8F3C1A29CDD04FFD995D272CC5ED4697 Image Caption: All men's Tests will be shown on Seven and Fox Sports // Getty

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.

Image Id: A65FB178FDFE41A38EE3B14F6AB7FFD9 Image Caption: The AB & BC awards night will be broadcast on Seven and Fox Sports // Getty

"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."

What cricket’s rights deal means for fans

Men's Test matches
Seven and Fox Sports

Women's internationals
Seven and Fox Sports

Men's ODIs and T20Is
Fox Sports

BBL
Forty-three matches on Seven and Fox Sports, 16 matches on Fox Sports

WBBL
Twenty-three matches on Seven and Fox Sports, 36 matches live streamed on cricket.com.au and the CA Live App

Image Id: 487E4FBB8B2E4E4CAD0FBB9A2217D93E Image Caption: More WBBL games than ever before will be shown on free-to-air television // Getty

Sheffield Shield
Final on Fox Sports, remaining matches live streamed on cricket.com.au and the CA Live App

One-Day Cup
Thirteen matches on Fox Sports, remaining matches live streamed on cricket.com.au and the CA Live App

International tour matches
Some matches on Fox Sports, remaining games live streamed on cricket.com.au and the CA Live App

Allan Border & Belinda Clark Medal Night
Seven and Fox Sports

On-demand highlights
Cricket.com.au, Cricket Australia Live app and Fox Sports

Image Id: 6E6B0F40A4BA4CE981B6A72CB015DBEE Image Caption: The Shield final will return to television under the new deal // Getty

WHAT EACH NETWORK WILL SHOW

Seven Network: Men's Tests, women's internationals, 43 BBL games, 23 WBBL games, AB & BC Medal Night

Fox Sports: Men's Tests, men's ODIs, men's T20Is, women's internationals, all BBL games, 23 WBBL games, AB & BC Medal Night, PM's XI & GG's XI matches, Sheffield Shield final, 13 One-Day Cup matches, digital partnership with Cricket Network