Cricket Live Against the Gate in Syd/Melb.

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Cricket Live Against the Gate in Syd/Melb.

Post by Beaussie »

SMH wrote:
Cricket Australia, Nine take live punt
May 11, 2005 - 6:14PM
http://www.smh.com.au/news/Sport/Cricke ... 23766.html

Cricket Australia (CA) has taken a huge punt on the sport's popularity by agreeing to have international matches played in Melbourne and Sydney televised live against the gate well into the next decade.

But grassroots cricket could be the loser, as the state cricket bodies of NSW and Victoria could be deprived of vital income from SCG and MCG gate takings if cricket lovers opt for the armchair over the plastic seat.

Under the Nine Network's new seven-year contract with CA, the broadcaster will televise matches played at the MCG and SCG live into the host cities regardless of the crowd size and competing teams.

The new broadcasting deal will run from April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2013 and will extend Nine's cricket coverage to 34 years.

Media analysts estimate the deal could be worth more than $200 million - $30 million a year - which is up from the current deal, which is understood to be worth about $25 million annually.

CA confirmed the network had paid a "significant increase" on the current deal.

Previously, Nine only screened entire international cricket matches played in Australia's two biggest cities locally if play was sold out or if the action was of major significance.

CA has a get-out clause written into the new deal should MCG and SCG crowds drop alarmingly, but despite moderate gate takings last summer, officials are confident people will keep watching cricket both live and on TV.

"Ultimately what we're doing here with going live against the gate is we're backing our product," CA chief executive James Sutherland said.

"What we firmly believe and our research clearly tells us, is that people want to be at the cricket but at the same time they want to have the opportunity to watch it on TV and we're backing cricket as the place to be."

The dominance of Ricky Ponting's side over the rest of the world showed in last year's crowd figures in Melbourne and Sydney.

The MCG Test against Pakistan attracted an average daily crowd of 32,269, while the SCG Test attracted an average daily crowd of 26,423.

Even in the popular one-day format crowds were low.

Melbourne attracted an average crowd of 36,562 in its three one-day internationals last summer - against the West Indies and Pakistan and New Zealand (at Telstra Dome) - while the SCG attracted average crowds of 32,568.

Sutherland acknowledged crowds could drop even further if fans stayed home to watch the television.

"There's no doubt that there's a potential for that to be the case, but at the same time we need to recognise the event status of international cricket and to make sure the public are aware of that and make sure they come along," he said.

"The critical point here is that we want the game of cricket to be accessible to as many Australian people as possible and ... the people of Sydney and Melbourne have actually had less cricket in recent times."

Sutherland ruled out compensation to the cricket bodies of Victoria and NSW through lost gate takings.

Cricket Victoria chief executive Ken Jacobs was seeking talks with CA over the new deal, but declined to comment.

Cricket NSW chief executive David Gilbert could not be contacted.

Although next summer's schedule does not fall under the new contract, CA is hopeful Nine will televise the 2005-06 Tests between Australia and South Africa into Melbourne and Sydney in their entirety.

A Nine spokeswoman could not guarantee that request.

CA will market cricket matches in Melbourne and Sydney as events similar to horse racing carnivals, the Formula One Grand Prix and the Australian Open tennis tournament to keep fans attending.
Do you think crowds will be affected? The Swans have been going live against the gate for years now and it hasn't seemed to affect their crowds. Using the Swans example, I think cricket will still get good crowds in Sydney and Melbourne.
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Post by Dizzys_on_fire »

I don't really think football and cricket are comparable with regards to TV -vs- the gate, mainly due to the amount of games that are actually played. There is only one test match a year in the country's five biggest cities and between 2 and 3 one day games if you are lucky. With the way that Australia blow teams off the field these days that probably adds up to about 4-5 days of opportunity for people can get their yearly cricket experience. IMO it will have little effect on the gate.
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