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Multi-million dollar Big Bash League naming rights sponsor KFC "turned up the heat on Cricket Australia to immediately resolve the pay crisis railroading the game," according to Ben Horne of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. KFC pours an estimated A$3.5M-A$4M ($2.7M-$3M) into the game each year as "one of CA's top three corporate partners" and its "concerned call for administrators on both sides of the fence to realise the ugly war is killing the sport reflects growing anxiety and frustration among cricket's leading sponsors." Leading corporate partners have been left "badly exposed" by cricket's lapsed pay agreement, as CA no longer controls the players' image rights and is therefore "unable to provide the protection against ambush marketing" that companies like Qantas, Commonwealth Bank and Optus have "forked out millions for." While some corporate partners "continued to play down the drama," others were "outright damning of CA's complete loss of control." CA can "ill afford the crisis scenario of having major sponsors ask for their money back or walk away from unfulfilled deals." KFC has been partnered with CA since '03 and, as well as backing the BBL, it has been the naming rights sponsor for the Australian Twenty20 side. A KFC spokesperson said, "The dispute between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers' Association is unfortunate and one we hope will be resolved amicably as soon as possible for the benefit of the game." Cricketer
Mitchell Starc's deal with Audi left some sponsors "feeling edgy." CA indicated it is not "concerned by Starc's venture," given other leading players already have "similar existing CA-approved arrangements with Toyota rivals." ACA Commercial Manager Tim Cruickshank is set to fly to India later this week to discuss selling the collective image rights of the Australian cricket team to leading media companies in the subcontinent "in a move aimed at supporting state male and female players out of pocket due to the dispute." Cruickshank said, "There's no doubt sponsors are a bit anxious right now" (
DAILY TELEGRAPH, 7/10).
