Channel 7 - Cricket Australia
Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2020 2:05 pm
Channel 7 considering terminating $450 million cricket contract as network blasts Cricket Australia
Australian cricket is in crisis with Channel 7 declaring it will not support the upcoming summer schedule and is considering terminating its $450 million contract.
Warburton has slammed Cricket Australia as a “train wreck” and labelled its administration “stumbling, bumbling” and the “most incompetent” he has ever worked with.
The Big Bash League is set to lose its biggest stars to international hubs this summer due to COVID and Cricket Australia is refusing to give Channel 7 a discount, adamant it will honour its contract by delivering a full schedule.
News Corp can reveal cricket is now on the verge of an ugly courtroom battle with Channel 7 threatening to walk away from its contract altogether with four years still to run.
“It’s the most incompetent administration I’ve ever worked with,” Warburton told News Corp.
“It’s a train wreck. We are forced to consider all our options including terminating the contract and we have put them on notice.
“This is not an acceptable product and we will not support the season. Cricket Australia have an obligation to deliver a competition of no lesser standard than the past.”
Doubling down on his attack on Cricket Australia earlier in the week, Warburton indicated the network was receiving support from former CEO Kevin Roberts, before he was sacked.
Warburton savaged the current CA administration for the “stupid” and “chaotic” plan to cripple the Big Bash which he says is not what the company is paying $75 million a year to show.
“What a bumbling, stumbling administration,” said Warburton.
“‘Don’t worry,’ they say. ‘We will deliver a full BBL season. We’ve got good news. We can one hundred per cent tell you who can’t play because we know they are in a hub we’ve created for our International white ball games.
“‘The only problem is we actually have no idea who will play the BBL.’
“How stupid to schedule International Cricket against the BBL and drain the resources of a competition already under pressure.
“It’s a joke and it rips off the fans. Imagine the AFL starting a season without Dusty (Dustin Martin), Danger (Patrick Dangerfield), Nat Fyfe, Marcus Bontempelli or Toby Greene.
“We paid a huge price and were promised the world. There is an obligation to deliver the best quality to the broadcasters. The BBL has been under huge pressure and Cricket Australia promised a full review and a reboot, they even called it BBL 2.0 for 2020/21.
“It’s the most incompetent administration I’ve ever worked with, with no appointed full time chief executive officer at a time when the sport needs strong leadership to steer through these extraordinary times.
“Kevin Roberts recognised these challenges and had started to engage with his broadcast partners to ensure fans would see the best cricket had to offer in 2020/21. The Cricket Australia hierarchy sacked him.”
Australian cricket is in crisis with Channel 7 declaring it will not support the upcoming summer schedule and is considering terminating its $450 million contract.
Warburton has slammed Cricket Australia as a “train wreck” and labelled its administration “stumbling, bumbling” and the “most incompetent” he has ever worked with.
The Big Bash League is set to lose its biggest stars to international hubs this summer due to COVID and Cricket Australia is refusing to give Channel 7 a discount, adamant it will honour its contract by delivering a full schedule.
News Corp can reveal cricket is now on the verge of an ugly courtroom battle with Channel 7 threatening to walk away from its contract altogether with four years still to run.
“It’s the most incompetent administration I’ve ever worked with,” Warburton told News Corp.
“It’s a train wreck. We are forced to consider all our options including terminating the contract and we have put them on notice.
“This is not an acceptable product and we will not support the season. Cricket Australia have an obligation to deliver a competition of no lesser standard than the past.”
Doubling down on his attack on Cricket Australia earlier in the week, Warburton indicated the network was receiving support from former CEO Kevin Roberts, before he was sacked.
Warburton savaged the current CA administration for the “stupid” and “chaotic” plan to cripple the Big Bash which he says is not what the company is paying $75 million a year to show.
“What a bumbling, stumbling administration,” said Warburton.
“‘Don’t worry,’ they say. ‘We will deliver a full BBL season. We’ve got good news. We can one hundred per cent tell you who can’t play because we know they are in a hub we’ve created for our International white ball games.
“‘The only problem is we actually have no idea who will play the BBL.’
“How stupid to schedule International Cricket against the BBL and drain the resources of a competition already under pressure.
“It’s a joke and it rips off the fans. Imagine the AFL starting a season without Dusty (Dustin Martin), Danger (Patrick Dangerfield), Nat Fyfe, Marcus Bontempelli or Toby Greene.
“We paid a huge price and were promised the world. There is an obligation to deliver the best quality to the broadcasters. The BBL has been under huge pressure and Cricket Australia promised a full review and a reboot, they even called it BBL 2.0 for 2020/21.
“It’s the most incompetent administration I’ve ever worked with, with no appointed full time chief executive officer at a time when the sport needs strong leadership to steer through these extraordinary times.
“Kevin Roberts recognised these challenges and had started to engage with his broadcast partners to ensure fans would see the best cricket had to offer in 2020/21. The Cricket Australia hierarchy sacked him.”