Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

March court date for Channel Seven in case against Cricket Australia

Written by 
Published in Cricket
Monday, 14 December 2020 19:13

Australian cricket's broadcast battle has a court date, with March 15 now set down as the day the Federal Court will begin hearing Seven West Media's attempt to pry extra documentation from Cricket Australia as it tries to make the case that the Big Bash League's place in the summer was changed due to India's wishes rather than issues around Covid-19.

Frosty relations between Seven and CA hit something like rock bottom after the recent release of an affidavit undersigned by the network's head of sport, Lewis Martin, which featured detailed recollections of private discussions between him and CA executives in the cricket operations and commercial departments.

"I expect that Seven's damages claim may be for many millions of dollars," Martin wrote, "given the significance of cricket coverage to Seven's advertising revenue and the magnitude of the scheduling changes made by CA."

Seven's legal action is parallel to a request for independent assessment of the value of the free-to-air broadcast rights it won in 2018 as a A$450 million portion of the A$1.18 billion deal signed alongside Foxtel after intense competition with the Nine and Ten networks who had jointly held the rights between 2013 and 2018.

That case is currently before the Australian Chamber for International and Commercial Arbitration, but CA has already flagged that it has no contractual requirement to recognise its outcome, pushing matters further towards court and possibly a breach of contract case.

For now, Seven is seeking a pre-discovery action to compel CA to release correspondence between the governing body, the BCCI and Foxtel, given the claims of the network's chief executive James Warburton that the fixture was changed from its original dimensions - announced on May 28 - due to requests from India to flip the white and red-ball segments of the tour.

CA is confident in its contractual position, and the dispute is ongoing while Seven continues to broadcast the summer alongside Fox Cricket. Nick Hockley, the interim chief executive of CA, has outlined how the governing body will keep working alongside Seven on an operational level, though disappointed by the public nature of the dispute.

"With so much positivity around Australian cricket, it is disappointing that Seven West Media has again chosen to use the media to talk our wonderful game down," Hockley said before the affidavit was released. "CA has maintained all along our commitment to delivering a thrilling summer of cricket and on behalf of all involved, be that governments, partners, players and staff, I'm proud to say we are doing just that. We remain confident in our contractual position.

"We continue to have tremendous respect for the hardworking people across Channel 7's cricket and news broadcast teams and congratulate them on the substantial increase in ratings cricket has delivered them to date this season. We have, and will continue to, fulfil our obligations to our partners and supporters by scheduling a brilliant summer of cricket, despite the cost and complexity of doing so given the current public health situation."

Daniel Brettig is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @danbrettig

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Read 275 times

Soccer

Pep: Man City face '9 finals' to qualify for UCL

Pep: Man City face '9 finals' to qualify for UCL

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsWhile Pep Guardiola and Manchester City are in the unlikeliest of p...

USMNT's Haji Wright nets 1st hat trick in England

USMNT's Haji Wright nets 1st hat trick in England

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsUnited States forward Haji Wright scored his first hat trick in Eng...

Pulisic equals career-best goal tally in Milan win

Pulisic equals career-best goal tally in Milan win

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsChristian Pulisic equaled his career-best goal tally for a season w...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Kerr passes Attles as Warriors' winningest coach

Kerr passes Attles as Warriors' winningest coach

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSAN FRANCISCO -- One game after Stephen Curry reached 4,000 3-point...

Bickerstaff 'disgusted' by techs in Pistons' loss

Bickerstaff 'disgusted' by techs in Pistons' loss

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsDETROIT -- Coach J.B. Bickerstaff blasted the officials after the D...

Baseball

O's Henderson aiming for Opening Day return

O's Henderson aiming for Opening Day return

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsShortstop Gunnar Henderson said he believes he can return from inju...

Marlins lose OF Sanchez (oblique) for four weeks

Marlins lose OF Sanchez (oblique) for four weeks

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMiami Marlins outfielder Jesus Sanchez suffered a left oblique inju...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated