Cricket Australia's next broadcast agreement - from the 2024-25 summer until the end of the 2030-31 summer - has been confirmed, with cricket to remain on Fox Sports and Channel Seven.
Despite a rocky relationship with Seven over the course of the current rights deal, mainly brought on by pandemic-impacted BBL seasons, the commitment to the current broadcasters has been extended on a seven-year $1.512 billion deal.
That figure represents a 10.5 per cent increase on the previous $1.182 billion deal signed in 2018 with the two networks which runs for six years, and expires at the end of next summer.
It had been reported that Paramount Plus and Channel Ten had come in with a big offer for the cricket, but Cricket Australia elected to remain with Fox Sports and Channel 7 over their reach and streaming quality - something Paramount have struggled with during their time broadcasting the A-League.
It means the current arrangement still has one summer to run before the new deal kicks in, with the new deal from the start of the 2024-25 summer to see the BBL reduced to 43 games.
That represents 40 regular season games and three finals matches, with the current top-five finals format also to disappear as the competition reverts back to a four-team knockout round.
The BBL will be mainly focused around the January window where Cricket Australia have worked to have the national team free of commitments in as many years as possible.
Each team will play ten regular season games under the new format.
On the international front, the seven-year deal means it will encompass two home Ashes series, and two home Border-Gavaskar trophy series, with the next of those set down for the opening two years of the new deal.
All Australian men's white ball fixtures in the ODI and T20I format will continue to remain exclusive to Fox Sports and Kayo Sports, while matches simulcast on Channel 7 - Test matches, women's internationals, 33 of the 43 BBL matches and 23 WBBL matches - will be streamed on 7Plus for the first time.
As per previous rights agreements, ICC tournaments - like the World Cup and World Test Championship final - will be negotiated separately with the ICC.
