Cricket Australia has finalised its international cricket broadcast agreements.
The non-exclusive six-year deal gives Macquarie Media, Crocmedia, and long-standing broadcast partner ABC Radio rights to broadcast international cricket.
ABC Radio will broadcast Men’s and Women’s international cricket and the WBBL on all platforms which include ABC local radio, ABC Grandstand Digital Radio, the ABC Listen app and ABC online.
Following reports the ABC’s 84-year partnership with Cricket Australia was set to end, speaking to ABC Radio Melbourne’s Jon Faine this morning, Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland dismissed the speculation as “mischievous”.
The Managing Director of the ABC, Michelle Guthrie, said: “Cricket on ABC Radio is a big part of any Australian summer and I am really delighted we are continuing to forge a strong partnership with Cricket Australia to provide live commentary to as many Australians as possible.’
Head of ABC Sport, Nick Morris, said: “Audiences will once again be able to access Australia’s best cricket commentary team, led by the voice of summer Jim Maxwell, who is celebrating 45 years behind the microphone.”
Macquarie Media’s agreement with Cricket Australia encompasses coverage of all Men’s International, Women’s International & Men’s BBL in the 2018/2019 to 2023/24 seasons.
Under the new agreement, MM will broadcast International Women’s Cricket in Australia for the first time on commercial radio.
Crocmedia has also secured a commercial radio broadcast partnership with Cricket Australia for the next six years under a sub-license agreement with Macquarie.
Crocmedia CEO Craig Hutchison said:
“We are thrilled to add cricket to our summer sports line-up and look forward to expanding our live coverage of Australia’s most loved sports – which for us includes AFL, NRL, A-League and now Cricket.”
Crocmedia’s Chief Sports Caller Gerard Whateley said: “After having provided listeners with a taste of what we can bring during the South African Test series this year, we take up this mantle with a sense of honour, excitement and responsibility.”
The deal will see Crocmedia become the only provider of Big Bash radio coverage of all 59 matches this summer and cover all BBL matches for the next six years into three capital cities and exclusively across regional Australia.
Under the new agreement, MM will feature coverage of all Tests, One Day Internationals, International T20’s, Men’s BBL and Women’s International matches on Macquarie Sports Radio.
In play Cricket Updates will also appear on News Talk stations 2GB 873 AM in Sydney, 3AW 693 AM in Melbourne, 4BC 1116 AM in Brisbane & 6PR 882 Perth as part of the deal.
New to the deal, listeners will be able to stream live cricket across each station’s website, apps and mobile devices.
As part of the new agreement, Macquarie Media will also sub-license the production of its BBL coverage nationally and provide non exclusive Test match rights in Melbourne and Adelaide plus exclusive rights to all regional markets to Crocmedia.
Macquarie Media CEO Adam Lang said:
“I am delighted that Macquarie Media’s association with Cricket Australia will continue. Our “Summer of Cricket” commentary team has now become established as one of the favourite destinations for Cricket fans across all formats of the game.
“Our audiences love the passion, enthusiasm, insight and professionalism that the “Summer of Cricket” team brings and we look forward to growing that further throughout this new agreement”.
Cricket coverage on Macquarie Sports Radio will begin on Saturday September 29th with a broadcast of its first Women’s International Cricket Match against New Zealand, followed by International matches including South Africa, India & Sri Lanka plus every Men’s BBL match across the summer.