XtraTime Web Desk: Within 24 hours of the crisis in Cricket South Africa, Cricket Australia too finds themselves in a spot with Channel Seven threatening to pull out of its broadcast agreement. Seven, who are the official broadcast partners of Cricket Australia, has initiated process to pull out of the agreement. The broadcasters have sent a notice to Cricket Australia citing breach of contract.
The network signed a $450 million deal in 2018 as it pinched the free-to-air broadcast rights from Channel 9 after a 40-year stranglehold but now wants out of its contract. The development comes after Seven CEO James Warburton launched a stunning attack on CA last month, calling it the “most incompetent administration I’ve ever worked with”.
According to a report inThe Sydney Morning Herald, Seven has officially notified CA of its issues with the calendar and will not make its next $25m broadcast payment, due on Tuesday.
The report says that Seven had issues with CA over the broadcast of BBL matches which was previously televised by Channel 10. The broadcast partner has argued that the BBL this year will be devalued because of the lack of availability of international stars. The need for Australian players to spend longer in national-team hubs because of COVID-19 and a busy international schedule are some of the reasons the BBL will be without the sport’s biggest names Down Under.
Elsewhere in South Africa, Cricket South Africa is in huge crisis following the decision by South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) to suspend Cricket South Africa. The CAS has been suspended for a period of one month during which SASCOC will launch an independent investigation into the conduct of CSA.