In a massive shift in the broadcasting landscape, Amazon Prime has secured the Australian rights to the next cricket World Cup alongside a range of other tournaments run by the International Cricket Council (ICC) until 2027.
The deal means that Australian Cricket fans can only access the tournaments if they have a paid subscription to the video streaming service. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the rights deal is the most significant sports deal ever to go to a streaming service without an attached free-to-air partner.
News of the deal has come just two weeks after the final of the 2023 World Cup, in which Australia overcame India by six wickets. The event was a significant win for free-to-air television, with the final being viewed by over 1 million Australians on the Nine Network.
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The deal also comes after the federal government recently reaffirmed its commitment to sports anti-siphoning measures that see sporting events deemed to be of national significance quarantined for broadcast on free services. If no free service takes up those rights, they can be picked up by a paid service. The deal was welcomed by members of the broadcasting community.
“Being able to share in the sporting moments that bring Australians together as a nation is also fundamental to our community. It’s important that the Government has reaffirmed that live and free access to key sporting events remains a central part of the Australian way of life,” said Free TV CEO Bridget Fair.
Despite the 2027 World Cup being deemed nationally important, the event will be jointly hosted by Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, and there is, therefore, no provision for the game to be shown on free-to-air television.
