Cricket Australia "is planning to intensify a proposed lobbying campaign against the anti-siphoning list, with a sharper reduction than previously indicated," according to Jake Mitchell of THE AUSTRALIAN.
The sports body "is considering asking the Turnbull government to remove home matches played between Australia and minnow nations."
This would see Tests, one-day internationals and T20 int'l matches "available to subscription television platform Foxtel." The anti-siphoning regime "ring-fences premium sport for free-to-air television networks and it currently applies to international matches Australia plays at home." Sources said that board approval "would be needed for Cricket Australia to push forward on lobbying for matches against minnow nations to be taken off the list." Cricket Australia "declined to comment" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 12/12).
RATINGS SLUMP: In Sydney, Ben Horne reported Nine's TV ratings "continue to plummet at an alarming rate this summer, leaving Cricket Australia’s upcoming TV rights negotiations precariously placed."
Ratings for the three-match one-day series against New Zealand "were down" 32% on the previous summer. Question marks "are now being raised about Nine’s chosen methods of trying to revamp their cricket coverage this summer and primarily whether a move to featuring just two commentators" on air at once is "actually working." There "has been a suggestion from industry insiders that the drop in Nine’s performance could even prompt Cricket Australia to consider postponing the finalisation their next international TV rights deal until after next summer, because by then some big Ashes numbers could come in late to help save the day at the negotiating table."
However, despite the downward spiral in ratings, Cricket Australia "is adamant they will stick to their policy of finalising all negotiations before next summer, so as to give the rights winner a full 12 months to plan their coverage" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 12/11).
