Cricket Australia has "renegotiated North American television rights, including a deal that will see the Big Bash League air on the NBC Sports Network," which broadcasts into more than 85 million U.S. homes, according to Michael Bodey of THE AUSTRALIAN. Cricket Australia Media, Communications & Marketing GM Ben Amarfio said that the new deal gave the Australian game an “unbelievable” reach into American households because the sports channel offshoot of the free-to-air broadcaster, NBC, was available on basic cable subscriptions in a country in which there is 95% penetration. Amarfio said, "We’re ecstatic. It could be a game-changer for us having the BBL on NBC." The one-year deal, with an option to extend, will see one BBL match broadcast live into the U.S. each week, "with a replay the following day." It is the "sweetener in CA’s renewal" of U.S. broadcast rights for five years with its longstanding cable and streaming partner Willow. The new deal with Willow "includes rights to broadcast Australian cricket, including Test matches, one-day internationals and Twenty20 matches as well as the Women's Big Bash League." The deals "accompany a concerted effort to expand cricket participation in North America beyond building a television audience" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 7/11). The AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW's Max Mason wrote while the deal with NBC is "only one-year, the broadcaster has an option to pick up the rights for a longer term agreement." The deal also "includes some contra advertising." In Canada, Asian Television Network "secured the same rights that Willow did" in the U.S. Amarfio: "Now that we've completed those deals our focus will turn next to NZ ... then once we get through NZ then our focus will turn to our Asian and our Australian deals." The Asia deal, which runs out in March '17, "includes south-east Asia, the subcontinent, the Middle East and north Africa." The rights are "currently held by Star Sports, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox" (AFR, 7/11). CRICKET COUNTRY reported CA is "currently in talks with various broadcasters about the upcoming Australian rights deal." Amarfio said, "There wouldn’t be a TV network on the planet going forward that wouldn’t want to have their rights across all digital platforms. That’s something that the sport bodies are going to have to get our heads around" (CRICKET COUNTRY, 7/11).
