TV cricket rights war: Explosive courtroom development as situation reaches crisis point

The growing broadcast war between Cricket Australia and Seven Network appears to have reached the point of no return with the dispute now set for the courtroom.

Troubled waters ahead for Australian coach Justin Langer, captain Tim Paine and Australian selector Greg Chappell.

Cricket is headed to court with a March 15 date set for the Federal Court to hear Channel 7’s pre-discovery claim.

The ugly feud is set to escalate with Cricket Australia understood to have filed its own affidavit claiming its free-to-air broadcaster is trying to apply commercial pressure by leaking to the media.

Despite the drama going on behind the scenes, Channel 7 on Tuesday was due to make the latest pay instalment on its $450 million broadcast deal and Seven commentators are gathering in Adelaide for the first Test.

There was a Federal Court conference heard on Tuesday for the two parties to agree on a date.

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How will cricket’s broadcasting dispute play out in the courtroom?

It will be up to the Federal Court to decide whether Channel 7 should be allowed access to confidential documents and correspondence between Cricket Australia, the Indian Cricket Board, State Governments and Fox Sports.

Channel 7 filed an affidavit to the Federal Court a fortnight ago to start a ‘pre-discovery’ process, with its head of sport Lewis Martin outlining his belief that Cricket Australia had breached its contract with the free-to-air network.

The broadcaster is claiming it was CA’s subservience to India and inducements from State Governments, not COVID-19, which drastically altered the summer schedule.

Cricket Australia vehemently denies those allegations, and the Tasmanian State Government has come out and denied any financial inducements were provided to start the Big Bash in Tasmania, with the head of Tasmanian Cricket describing Channel 7 as “Trump like”.