Macquarie Radio Network (MRN) has announced its cricket broadcast commentary lineup for this summer that will feature some of the game’s most-recognised names and include all the biggest local and international cricket matches.
Year three of the network’s landmark five-year broadcast deal is set to be the biggest and best yet. MRN’s world-class cricket commentary team for the 2015/16 season will include Ian Chappell, Glenn McGrath, Damien Fleming, Dean Jones, Greg Matthews, Carl Rackemann, Tom Moody, John Emburey, Mickey Arthur and, new to the team this season, former champion wicket keeper Darren Berry.
Tim Lane, Bruce Eva, Tony Leonard, Karl Langdon and Peter Psaltis will be head commentators for the network and will cover the Tests, One Day Internationals, Big Bash and International T20’s.
In addition, legendary cricket commentator Kerry O’Keeffe will also host a summer Saturday Sports Show on 2GB Sydney and 4BC Brisbane and deliver a series of cricket reports that will air across network stations plus more than 50 regional stations. O’Keeffe will also appear in cricket coverage of international matches to provide special comments during lunch, tea and innings breaks
After acquiring the rights to the cricket broadcast for the summer of 2013/2014 and breaking the ABC’s long-held stranglehold on the game, cricket will be broadcast on Macquarie Radio Network’s News Talk stations 2UE, 3AW, 4BC and 6PR as well as digital radio station, NTS (News Talk Sport). MRN has a five year broadcast rights agreement for the Australian cricket season that deliver the most comprehensive radio broadcast coverage of live cricket in Australia.
“Cricket is undoubtedly Australia’s biggest sport over summer. Macquarie Radio will celebrate all of the tradition and excitement by delivering our cricket audience of 1.3 million* listeners the nation’s best expert commentary team with live calls and insights, making our network a true cricket destination,” Macquarie Radio Network chief operating officer Adam Lang said.
MRN has once again secured Harvey Norman as naming rights partner of the network’s cricket coverage, which will include broadcast integration, on air credits and commercials.
MRN’s cricket coverage will include all Test matches, all One Day Internationals, Big Bash League (BBL) and International T20 matches, providing sports fans with unprecedented access to live cricket.
The following cricket matches will be broadcast across the network:
- 4BC Brisbane and NTS Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth will broadcast all six Tests starting this week
- 2UE Sydney will broadcast the three West Indies Tests (Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney)
- 3AW Melbourne and 6PR Perth will broadcast the Boxing Day and Sydney New Year’s Test
- Affiliate station FIVEaa will broadcast the Adelaide Test plus the three West Indies Tests (Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney)
- 2UE, 3AW, 4BC, FIVEaa, 6PR and NTS will broadcast all One Day Internationals and International T20 matches against long time rivals India, whilst the network will adopt a localised approach to the BBL with stations broadcasting all matches that feature their local team.
The network’s cricket coverage will begin on November 5th, with Australia vs New Zealand in the first Test live from the Gabba in Brisbane.
