CRICKET – AUSTRALIA

Bounced out: Smith, Warner unfit to lead

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Original article by Peter Lalor
The Australian – Page: 1 & 8 : 29-Mar-18

Cricket Australia has banned Steve Smith and David Warner from all forms of cricket for 12 months, while Cameron Bancroft has been banned for nine months. In addition, Smith will be barred from the captaincy role for an additional year after his ban is lifted, while Warner faces a life-time ban from leading his country. Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland has told a press conference that Smith, Warner and Bancroft were the only members of the Test team who had any knowledge of the ball-tampering strategy. It has also been revealed that Bancroft had used sandpaper rather than adhesive tape to alter the condition of the ball.

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CRICKET AUSTRALIA

Axe looms for Lehmann over tampering

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Original article by Peter Lalor
The Australian – Page: 1 & 7 : 27-Mar-18

There is speculation that Cricket Australia is poised to sack coach Darren Lehmann in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal, while Steve Smith has stood down as captain of Indian Premier League team the Rajasthan Royals. Smith and David Warner are at risk of losing lucrative IPL contracts due to their role in the controversy. CA could also potentially impose 12-month bans on both players, in addition to penalties already announced by the International Cricket Council. Meanwhile, the Australian team’s tactics have come under further scrutiny, with English fast bowler Stuart Broad raising concerns about possible ball-tampering during the 2017-18 Ashes series.

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CRICKET AUSTRALIA, INTERNATIONAL CRICKET COUNCIL, INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS’ ASSOCIATION

CA rejection opens door to pay-TV deal

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 24 & 26 : 26-Mar-18

Cricket broadcasting rights are likely to be shared by the free-to-air and pay-TV sectors, after Cricket Australia rejected a joint bid by the Nine and Ten networks. CBS executive Armando Nunez has also met with Tennis Australia officials, although his priority is said to be retaining Ten’s broadcasting rights to Big Bash League matches. Meanwhile, Facebook and Google have declined to comment on whether they have expressed interest in acquiring cricket streaming rights.

CORPORATES
CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, CBS CORPORATION, BIG BASH LEAGUE, TENNIS AUSTRALIA, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Smith’s shame

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Original article by Peter Lalor
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 26-Mar-18

The International Cricket Council has fined Steve Smith his entire match fee for the current Test against South Africa in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal. Smith will also be banned from playing in the final Test of the series. Batsman Cameron Bancroft has been fined 75 per cent of his match fee after admitting that he had attempted to change the condition of the ball using adhesive tape. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says it "beggars belief" that the Australian cricket team has cheated, while Michael Clarke and Adam Gilchrist are among the former players to have expressed outrage over the team’s conduct.

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INTERNATIONAL CRICKET COUNCIL, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN

Nine, Ten mull joint cricket bid

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 26 & 28 : 19-Mar-18

Fox Sports will establish a cricket channel on Foxtel if its bid for cricket broadcasting rights is successful. Fox Sports bid includes Test and one-day international matches, as well as all Big Bash League matches except the finals. Meanwhile, the Nine and Ten networks are holding talks regarding a joint bid for broadcasting rights, while Seven West Media is also expected to bid. Cricket Australia has set a deadline of 19 March to submit bids, while Tennis Australia in turn is seeking bids for its broadcasting rights by 12 April.

CORPORATES
FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, CBS CORPORATION, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, BIG BASH LEAGUE, TENNIS AUSTRALIA, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED

Carve-up of cricket TV rights looms

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Original article by John Stebbins, Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 15-Mar-18

Cricket Australia has set a deadline of 19 March to submit bids for a new six-year deal for cricket broadcasting rights. The tender documents show that Cricket Australia is open to allowing some Test and one-day international matches in Australia to be broadcast exclusively on pay-TV. Cricket Australia proposes to offer up to 11 separate broadcast packages, with media companies being able to bid for some or all of them. This could enable the Nine Network to make a joint bid with Foxtel for all forms of the game or allow Seven to gain some cricket rights.

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CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, CBS CORPORATION, BIG BASH LEAGUE, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, TWITTER INCORPORATED

Long queue forming as Australian cricket rights go up for grabs

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 13-Jan-18

Cricket Australia expects all three free-to-air networks to bid for the Big Bash League broadcasting rights, with the Nine Network tipped to retain rights to Test and one-day international matches. Fox Sports could also bid for the cricket rights in partnership with a free-to-air network, while potential contenders for digital broadcasting rights are said to include Optus and YouTube. Cricket Australia is expected finalise a new rights deal by April.

CORPORATES
CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, CBS CORPORATION, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, BIG BASH LEAGUE, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS

Big ratings boost for the Big Bash

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 21-Dec-17

Nine Entertainment Company, the Ten Network and Fox Sports are likely to be the main bidders for the next Big Bash League broadcasting rights deal. The strong TV ratings for the first BBL match of the 2017-18 season should strengthen Cricket Australia’s bargaining power in negotiations for a new rights deal. Peak audience numbers for Ten’s coverage were 15 per cent higher than the corresponding match in 2016-17, while the Women’s BBL competition has also attracted strong TV ratings.

CORPORATES
NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, CBS CORPORATION, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BIG BASH LEAGUE, CRICKET AUSTRALIA

CA inks subcontinent TV deal

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 10-Oct-17

Sony Pictures Networks India has secured a deal for exclusive broadcasting and digital rights on the sub-continent to all international cricket matches in Australia for six years. The deal with Cricket Australia covers both men’s and women’s cricket matches, and Sony Pictures is believed to have paid slightly more than Star India paid under the current rights deal. Meanwhile, Cricket Australia hopes to finalise a new rights deal with Australian broadcasters by the end of the upcoming summer.

CORPORATES
SONY PICTURES NETWORKS INDIA PVT LTD, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, STAR INDIA, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, BIG BASH LEAGUE, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, CBS CORPORATION, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS

Nine proceeds with caution on cricket rights

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 25-Aug-17

Write-downs resulted in Nine Entertainment Company reporting a 2016-17 net loss of $A203.4m, although its underlying profit was 2.7 per cent higher at $A123.6m. Revenue of $1.24bn was three per cent lower. CEO Hugh Marks says Nine is keen to acquire the rights to the Big Bash League as well as renew its existing cricket broadcasting rights, and he hopes for a swift conclusion to negotiations with Cricket Australia. However, he has cautioned that the subdued advertising market means Nine cannot afford to pay much more than at present for sports broadcasting rights.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, TWITTER INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, BIG BASH LEAGUE