Triple M has announced it has signed a two-year deal with Cricket Australia to broadcast selected Australian Test cricket matches over the next two summers.
As the inaugural FM broadcaster of test cricket in Australia, Triple M will bring its listeners the 2016-17 Commonwealth Bank Test Series against Pakistan and the Ashes Test Series played in Australia in the 2017-18 season.
Listeners of Triple M stations in the capital cities will be able to tune in for the Commonwealth Bank Test Series against Pakistan from 15 December to hear the first day-night Test from Brisbane, and from 26 December in regional Queensland, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia to hear the Boxing Day Test.
This will be Triple M’s first foray into broadcasting test cricket, and has appointed ex-NSW Blues player Brad McNamara as its cricket executive producer, who was also formerly an executive producer of Channel Nine’s cricket coverage.
Mike Fitzpatrick, head of content at Triple M, said test cricket is “the sound of summer” in Australia, and sport is in Triple M’s DNA
“Triple M has brought entertaining coverage of both AFL and NRL to FM for years and now we’re very excited to create a new type of test coverage to cricket fans across the country,” he said.
Sothern Cross Austereo Grant Blackley said the group is proud to be able to cover test cricket on the Triple M network.
“As a leader in Australian sports broadcasting, Triple M will bring its vitality and informed coverage to these iconic tests that are so integral to our Australian summer,” he said.
Cricket Australia’s executive general manager of media, communications and marketing, Ben Amarfio, said the organisation is excited to be able to partner with Triple M to increase its reach of cricket broadcasting across the country.
“The station is renowned as the home of rock, sport and comedy, and we are looking forward to Triple M’s take on covering cricket and welcoming Triple M listeners this summer,” he said.
