Seven Network boss Kerry Stokes joins attack on Cricket Australia

Seven Network boss Kerry Stokes has weighed into cricket’s broadcasting feud, claiming his network has been short changed

Seven CEO James Warburton with Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes

Seven Network boss Kerry Stokes has weighed into cricket’s broadcasting feud for the first time, claiming his network has been short changed by an underperforming product.

As Seven privately lamented the loss of more stars for week one of the Big Bash League, Stokes accused Cricket Australia of not delivering on the quality that was promised in their $450 million TV rights deal, and not offering anything in return.

Cricket Australia countered by challenging Seven to articulate what it is exactly they haven’t delivered on in their contract, and pointed to the fact they had offered a financial discount for this COVID-hit summer, which was rejected by Seven.

Seven chief James Warburton has led the network’s charge in the bitter TV rights feud, with the two parties currently locked in arbitration proceedings, but Stokes entered the fray on Thursday at the Seven’s annual general meeting with his own attack.

“As Mr Warburton stated earlier, our company loves cricket,” said Stokes. “We couldn’t be more excited about cricket, the people who play it and the games and watching Australia represent us at the middle of the oval.

“It’s outside the oval and at the administrative offices where we have some issues. The company has paid a lot of money, a record amount of money, for a quality product and that hasn’t been delivered to us and nor have they offered us anything in return to make up for what they haven’t delivered.

“And we will continue to push your company’s rights to achieve a fair outcome.”

Cricket Australia said the praise paid to them by Fox Sports’ chief Patrick Delany’s last week at the announcement of the BBL schedule made it clear this was a tale of two broadcasters, with Seven the ones who haven’t entered into the summer in the spirit of partnership.

Seven’s key complaint through the ugly stand-off has been that the quality of the BBL has been compromised, and there was frustration at the network on Thursday that a handful of headline stars like Moises Henriques and Alex Carey will miss the start of the competition because they’re part of an Australia A squad required to give India a practice game, which is in addition to the 17 players already taken out in the Test bubble.

Every year international players are absent from the BBL, but to start this summer, the number is greater than ever due to the pandemic and the way the IPL has compromised CA’s ability to schedule matches on their own terms.

National Selector Trevor Hohns declared on Thursday his panel will do everything it can to support the BBL and broadcasters Seven and Fox Sports this summer, despite the complications of COVID-19 protocols and the impact the IPL has had on draining players before the home summer has begun.

Hohns said he would be looking to release non-playing extras in his Test squad to play BBL during the Test series where possible, and said his panel would be strategic if they rest IPL weary stars like David Warner and Steve Smith in the upcoming white ball international series which is exclusive to Fox Sports.

“We’re currently working through that right now and waiting for the IPL players in particular to return home. We are working on that at the moment in the background and of course you’re right, we have to take into account the broadcasters etc and make sure if we are going to give a player a break or players a break, they’re not all missing from the one game,” said Hohns.

“Of course, as we’ve done in the past seasons, we will release players if the opportunity arises to play for their Big Bash clubs.

“We want players playing as much as they can, unfortunately right now the circumstances are a little different to normal, but history shows we’ve always tried to release players if and when we can.”

As it stands, players who leave the Test bubble would need to spend three days in isolation before they re-enter – further complicating the release of stars for BBL. However, with the improving COVID-19 situation across the country, there are still hopes those conditions may relax even further.