What does tennis mega deal mean for Cricket Australia and next round of TV rights negotiations?

Major sports have been hesitant to partner with one of the top TV networks due to its ratings reputation. But, has tennis’ mega deal left cricket with no choice but to take a risk?

Cricket Australia is facing an awkward reality that the perfect free-to-air partner for the next TV rights deal does not exist.

It faces a choice between a current spouse who is trying to divorce it in court (Seven), a wealthy rival who might not be that popular (Ten), or an old flame whose lust for cricket is not what it was (Nine).

Channel 9’s new record $425 million deal to broadcast Australian Tennis for the rest of this decade could have a major influence on the shape of cricket’s TV rights negotiations, with the current arrangement between CA, Channel 7 and Fox Sports expiring at the end of next summer.

Nine’s freshly minted commitment to tennis rules it out of being a competitor for the Big Bash League, and makes it difficult — although not impossible — for it to take back Test match cricket, given the potential the two summer schedules could overlap in early January.

If Nine is allowed to show tennis’ lead-up tournaments on its secondary channels to allow the Sydney Test in early January to take top billing, then perhaps Test cricket and the Australian Open Tennis could coexist harmoniously on the same network.

But the fact is cricket is no longer Nine’s No. 1 priority and as appealing as the romanticism might be of linking again with the network that was the game’s 40-year home after such a fractured experience with Seven … it’s complicated.

Which network will bring Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith to your loungeroom when the next round of TV rights are negotiated?

Not the least of all because Nine is now to pay 40 per cent more for the tennis annually than it had before, with the new five-year deal worth $85 million a year, posing the question how much more will it have left in the kitty for Test cricket?

Channel 7 will attempt to terminate its current contract with Cricket Australia in the Federal Court early next year, a move that doesn’t necessarily scream, ‘I want to go into business with you again.’

But no matter how toxic the relationship might be, it is not an untenable situation, because it’s television and both parties may still very much need each other.

What impact will Channel 9’s new record $425 million deal to broadcast tennis for the rest of this decade have on cricket’s TV rights negotiations?

At least before Ash Barty’s shock retirement, there was significant interest from Channel 7 in pinching back the tennis rights, but that ship has sailed, and the question now becomes whether the network can afford to go without having a major sport over the summer.

Seven might have shunned the Big Bash product but it has loved the growth of Test cricket since taking over the rights, and it may see holding onto Test cricket in the next TV deal as the ideal position to reach. Streaming rights will also become a major factor for the free-to-air networks in this new cricket deal.

Finding the perfect free-to-air partner for Cricket Australia seems a pipe dream.

Cricket Australia will of course want to keep Seven at the negotiating table to drive the overall price up, but it will be interesting to see whether ultimately they would be prepared to once again go into business with Seven again.

Channel 10/Paramount is very interested in swooping on cricket after being brushed for the AFL rights, and the fact they would be open to the Big Bash and Test cricket must be extremely appealing to CA.

Paramount is cashed-up and ready to make a splash in the sports rights pool, but the perennial hesitation seems to be whether major sports are prepared to take the plunge and link with Channel 10.

The free-to-air ratings for the Melbourne Cup continued their year-on-year decline on Channel 10 this Spring Carnival, with Paramount confirming its national race audience across the TV and 10 Play platforms averaged 1.5 million viewers, falling from 1.85 million last year.

Ten’s reputation for sport simply isn’t what it is on Nine and Seven, and the Melbourne Cup example highlights the concerns major sports hold about the potential promotion and marketing struggles of their product if they went to Ten.

However, Ten did successfully broadcast the Big Bash under the previous TV deal and so there is some history there with cricket.

In the end it will come down to money — as it always does — and perhaps what Cricket Australia decides is making the best of an imperfect scenario.

Originally published as What does tennis mega deal mean for Cricket Australia and next round of TV rights negotiations?