Cricket’s top women could be set for another major pay spike of WBBL ratings continue to surge
After news of the Matildas’ pay increase, Australia’s female cricketers could be next in line for a wage increase if TV ratings for the WBBL continue on their upward trajectory.
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Australia’s women’s team could resemble millionaire’s row by 2023 if impressive ratings for the WBBL continue to surge.
As it stands, top male players are better paid in Australian cricket because they are rewarded with premiums to recognise the fact they play more international matches and draw bigger audiences.
It’s why Pat Cummins earns over $2 million as the No.1 male and Ellyse Perry over $1 million as the No.1 female, out of an equal pay model pioneered by cricket in 2017, which offers the same base salary for both genders.
But women’s cricket is starting to pull more than its fair share of eyeballs as well, with an average of 225,000 (and a peak of 389,000) tuning into Channel 7 on Sunday for the WBBL clash between the Sydney Sixers and the Melbourne Stars – one example of consistently growing numbers.
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Australia’s international women’s players already receive an average of $200,000 a year, making cricket the most lucrative team sport for women, but administrators have vowed to renegotiate premium bonuses on offer for the superstars when the next MOU is signed.
The upward swell in viewership numbers could directly translate to more major pay rises for the best female talent.
In the wake of football’s breakthrough pay announcement, former Australian cricket captain and Australian Cricketers Association board member Lisa Sthalekar believes it’s achievable for the top female players to one day match their male counterparts for earnings.
“I was genuinely surprised how quickly it’s elevated already,” Sthalekar said.
“I’d retired in 2013. I was the No.1 contracted and got $15,000. That’s only six years ago. Now it’s ($200,000, not including marketing contracts).
“ … I never thought I’d see that big an increase in that short amount of time. I do feel anything is possible.”
Sthalekar said women’s players needed to be careful what they wished for in terms of striving to play the same amount of international cricket as the men – with the relentless male schedule considered too extreme by many.
But in regards to the common argument over commercial forces and whether women are contributing as much to the overall pie, Sthalekar and CA executive, Karina Keisler say women shouldn’t be punished for a century of discrimination in the sporting landscape.
“In sport the revenue argument is linked to historical under-investment. We can’t expect women’s cricket to be generating big commercial dollars when we’ve not invested in the sport to build a profile that attracts commercial investment,” said Keisler, with CA already matching prize money for next year’s T20 World Cups.
“Saying players shouldn’t be paid because they don’t bring in the money is just punishing them for this historical under-investment. This is why Cricket Australia has introduced an approach to help break the cycle.
“It seems we are finally making financial headway … though there is still a way to go.”
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Sthalekar says the male playing group in Australia are supportive of the push to make female contract increases a priority for the game.
“I think the male players understand the role that women’s sport has to take. Certainly my whole time as a player at NSW, the male players always looked at the NSW Breakers and the record we had and said, ‘they deserve everything they get,’” said Sthalekar.
“It’s the same with the Australian women’s team. They have a world record at the moment, so it’s not like they’re the worst team and they’re asking for something ridiculous.
“They’re the best in the world and they deserve the best. I think the male players are totally behind that.”
Originally published as Cricket’s top women could be set for another major pay spike of WBBL ratings continue to surge