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Mike McKenna
Source: CA
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As the exec GM of operations at Cricket Australia and the chief of the Big Bash League,
MIKE MCKENNA holds a dual role in the world of Aussie cricket. Before joining Cricket Australia in '05, McKenna was the GM of commercial operations at Australian Football League side Essendon. He spoke with SBD Global about plans to expand the BBL as well as the factors behind the creation and success of the Women's Big Bash League.
On the BBL's vision ...
Mike McKenna: The BBL has been a success due to the clarity of the strategic vision that led to the development of the League and the discipline in which the clubs and the League have maintained in focusing on that vision. The BBL was developed, primarily, to bring new fans to the game with a specific focus on mums and kids. We are seeing huge numbers of those groups coming to BBL matches and more than 20 percent of fans attending last season were watching their first elite cricket match live. The same is happening in lounge rooms across the country with massive broadcast numbers for each game.
On expansion ...
McKenna: We have always had plans for the eventual growth of the BBL. Those plans are being evolved now and it is fair to say, earlier than was planned. Over the next few years we may look into the possibility of playing more games, though whether they are played by the same teams or introduce new teams is yet to be determined. While NZ is a strong market for cricket and the Blackcaps are performing very well, our focus is on Australian cricket and the subject of New Zealand teams in the BBL is not under consideration. ... There are many very large population centers in Australia who are very keen on hosting a BBL team and where elite level cricket is rarely played. In order to truly be Australia’s favorite sport, we need to find ways to take more cricket to fans in these centers. At least three Australian cities with top-class venues have very attractive cases for inclusion, when the decision is taken to expand the number of teams in the League.
On the BBL's next steps ...
McKenna: We are getting to the stage where sell-outs of BBL venues are more common than not, so increases in average crowd size, while still an objective, are likely to be hard to achieve. We will also focus on improving the experience for fans at games, increasing fan passion for what are relatively new clubs, growing TV viewership numbers and exposing the new BBL fans to other forms of cricket, i.e. Tests and One Day matches.
On the Women's Big Bash League ...
McKenna: Our immediate objective for the WBBL is to inspire girls to play cricket. While we have yet to get even initial measures of this result we have been stunned by the levels of TV ratings and attendance for the matches played to date. While we expected the broadcast games to be popular, the ratings have exceeded our wildest dreams. Attendance is a bonus and it is very satisfying that fans have been turning up to enjoy the skills of Australian athletes and some of the world’s best overseas cricketers, including a world record female domestic attendance with more than 14,000 people turning up to watch the Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Thunder last weekend.
On the the creation of the WBBL ...
McKenna: Ensuring all stakeholders were clear on the core objective of the WBBL was challenging as aspirations for the Women’s game are very high. As we learned from the BBL, having a very clear vision and a focus on what we are setting out to achieve, is vital. Other than that, the time frames for setting up eight new teams were very tight and it is a credit to the staff at CA, BBL Clubs, State Cricket Associations and importantly the players, that we got to the start line in great shape. ... The success of the WBBL to date means that our players and the quality of their game has been exposed to a large new audience. That will earn credibility for our players as top level athletes, for the game of cricket as an exciting game for men and women to play and a genuine career pathway for young girls to embark on.
On future plans for the WBBL ...
McKenna: The immediate plan is to finish the WBBL season strongly with both semifinals and the grand final broadcast to strong TV audiences. In the short term we want to enable our female players to have more choice about their playing, working and educational lives by increasing player payments. In the medium term, a successful hosting of the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2020, here in Australia, will be a major milestone in the professionalism of women’s cricket.
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