Cricket Australia bypassed Google, Samsung, Sony, Microsoft Xbox and other Internet protocol TV technology providers "by launching its first connected-TV content channel on Apple TV," according to Lara Sinclair of THE AUSTRALIAN. The free service "will be in high-definition and will include news, extended Test, one-day and Twenty20 match highlights, behind-the-scenes interviews, skills tutorials and archival footage available to viewers who stream content from the internet to their televisions via an Apple TV IPTV device." The content will be produced by Cricket Australia and Nine Entertainment Co. through its A$60M ($48M) joint digital content venture, "which also runs the cricket.com.au website, bigbash.com.au and the CA mobile app" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 1/14). The AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW's Jon Stensholt wrote it "will be the first deal of its kind with an Australian sport, media company or content provider." Cricket Australia and Nine "plan to generate revenue through advertising on the channel, which is streamed via the internet to televisions that have the Apple TV device." Neither Apple nor Cricket Australia "will pay or charge for the service, which the sport hopes will act as a way for viewers to catch up with matches they were unable to watch live." The deal "could be a precursor to selling subscriptions for the cricket service in future broadcast rights deals," something that other sports such as the Australian Football League are investigating. Apple, meanwhile, hopes that "the deal helps in the short term at least to boost Apple TV sales" (AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW, 1/14).
