Australian Board signs A$590 million broadcast deal

Cricket Australia (CA) announced a A$590 million broadcast agreement with Channels Nine and Ten on Tuesday, confident the new deal will help them attract the best young athletes in the country to the sport.

Collectively, the board's domestic and international rights to telecast cricket for the next five years add up to more than A$840 million, the CA said in a statement.

Cricket Australia's overall broadcast revenue figure could go even higher with extra cash from foreign broadcast deals, overseas tours, Champions League Twenty20, CA's share of ICC events income from TV or radio and new digital and domestic cricket deals. 

The last five-year deal signed by Australia's professional Australian Rules league (AFL) was worth A$1.25 billion, while the National Rugby League (NRL) inked a A$1.025 billion deal over a similar term last year.

"The average annual value of the broadcast of Australian cricket in Australia to Australian viewers has just increased 118 percent compared to the last five years to A$590 million," CA chief executive James Sutherland said.

"From next summer, Australian cricket moves forward with strong international cricket revenue and also now with strong domestic cricket revenue as well."

The cash flow and the increased Twenty20 employment opportunities would encourage more Australian athletes to choose cricket as their career, Sutherland said.

The new deal ensures all international matches will be telecast live nationally and all Big Bash League (BBL) Twenty20 games will be on free-to-air TV.

Channel Nine has also agreed to a A$60 million joint venture with CA to develop new cricket digital products for fans, including live-streaming matches to personal computers.

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