Cricket Australia broadcast rights: $1.5bn Paramount Plus bid overlooked to continue with Seven and Fox Sports

Cricket Australia snubbed a lucrative offer from American media giants Paramount, which could have fetched them $1.5bn, and dediced to retain current broadcasters -- the Seven Network and Fox Sports -- on a multi-million-dollar contract. 

It is understood that the home Test in summer and a selected number of Big Bash League (BBL) matches will telecast on Seven Network while Fox Sports will continue to broadcast Tests and the BBL along with the white-ball internationals and other domestic competitions.

The new deal will be triggered after the current deal expires in 2024 and the contract signed by the parties is for the course of five years, as per News Corp. In 2018, Cricket Australia signed a six-year deal of $809 million domestic media rights pact with Fox and Seven Network.

CA’s decision to reject mammoth Paramount deal

Paramount’s streaming service -- Paramount Plus -- rolled out to Australia in August 2021 and has created a base as the broadcaster of the A-Leagues and Australian football internationals. Moreover, the massive bid placed by the American media giant was easily more lucrative than those tabled by the Australian networks.

Despite this, the decision to snub the offer comes after the Australian Football League (AFL) opted to reject the American company’s advances last year. Interestingly, Paramount placed the highest bid on that occasion as well. That said, CA felt Paramount Plus could not match the reach of the current broadcast hosts and decided to shun the interest despite the massive offer on the table.

In any case, CA will now continue its partnership with Seven Network and Fox Sports, considering the new deal in place. It is worth mentioning that in July, the board landed a deal with Disney worth $250 million to broadcast games in India via Disney Star.