Seven’s summer of cricket to join Peppa Pig and Outback Truckers after tennis scheduling gaffe

AUSTRALIA’S Test and BBL stars could be relegated alongside Outback Truckers and Peppa Pig after officially losing in straight sets to tennis in an embarrassing scheduling clash.

CRICKET may find itself jostling with Outback Truckers and Peppa the Pig in a TV backwater after officially losing in straight sets to tennis in next summer’s embarrassing scheduling clash.

Any debate over whether Seven would choose to prioritise Roger Federer or Mitchell Starc next January is now officially dead and buried amid revelations the network is locked into an iron-clad agreement with Tennis that dictates the Australian Open must be shown on its main channel.

It means ratings blockbusters the Big Bash League and Test cricket will be consigned to Seven’s multi-channels for a key period of next summer in a devastating blow to the start of Cricket Australia’s six-year new free-to-air broadcasting deal.

Channel Seven’s embarrassing broadcasting clash could see cricket on Multi-channels.

The only possible circuit-breaker is if Seven decides to on-sell the final year of its Tennis deal to Nine, but that prospect also appears grim based on emphatic comments from Seven chief executive Tim Worner two weeks ago that the network wouldn’t give anything up.

“We’ll have both the tennis and the cricket, the only summer sports that really matter,” said Worner at investment bank, Macquarie’s annual business conference.

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“This gives us an unprecedented opportunity to drive for ratings and revenue, and an unrivalled platform from which to launch our 2019 schedule.”

It’s a massive blow for Channel Nine to be left without a summer sport for a full year before it starts its broadcasting deal with Tennis.

However, industry insiders also fear for how the unprecedented sporting overload might impact the launch of Seven’s six-year investment in cricket.

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Cricket Australia was fully aware of this potential scenario going in, but confirmation that the BBL and a day-night Test match in Brisbane over the Australia Day long-weekend appears destined for the backseat poses an issue for cricket’s prospective advertisers and commercial partners.

More than 80 per cent of Australian homes have access to digital channels, but the main free-to-air channels still drive bigger advertising dollars and ratings.

Multi-channels are often the domain of shows like Outback Truckers and Border Security and kids programs like Peppa Pig and Fireman Sam, but Seven will take confidence from the performances the AFL had on their multis during the Commonwealth Games.

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Originally published as Seven’s summer of cricket to join Peppa Pig and Outback Truckers after tennis scheduling gaffe