Australian cricket set a new attendance record, attracting more than 1.8 million Australians to elite cricket during the '16-17 season. The summer also saw strong TV ratings and record digital engagement. A total of 1,863,846 people attended int'l cricket, the Big Bash League and the Women’s Big Bash League, making '16-17 the most highly-attended Australian cricket season on record. A total of 784,332 fans attended the two Test Series, against South Africa and Pakistan, the ODI Series against New Zealand and Pakistan, the Southern Stars series against South Africa, and the T20 Int'l Series against Sri Lanka. The record attendance figures were backed up by strong TV ratings across the summer. An average of 1.05 million watched the Test, ODI, and T20 Int'l matches broadcast on the Nine Network, with a peak audience of 2.19 million during Session 3 on Day 4 of the Test against South Africa in Adelaide. The second season of the WBBL attracted more than 121,000 fans throughout the season. The BBL drew an average of more than 1 million viewers per match. The TV ratings for the BBL saw it win 31 of 35 nights and cement itself as the top-ranked TV program for families over the summer (Cricket Australia). In Melbourne, Jon Pierik reported the release of the figures "comes at a time" when the Australian Cricketers' Association and CA "remain at loggerheads over CA's plan to cut domestic cricketers from the set-percentage model" embraced since '97. CA's formal submission to the ACA for a new memorandum of understanding for men and, for the first time, women, has CA-contracted male -- up to A$16M ($12.2M) and female players -- up to A$4M ($3M) -- sharing in a percentage of revenue. CA argues that it is "no longer feasible for Shield cricketers to share in these spoils, although they will continue to be paid well" (THE AGE, 3/31).
