The Seven Network has stepped in to secure the rights to Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka just 12 days before the start of the first Test.
Australian cricket fans were in danger of being stuck in a television black hole for two Test and two ODI matches as no network had secured the rights.
But Seven, which broadcasts domestic Tests, women’s internationals and the Big Bash League, will broadcast the entire tour on its free-to-air stations and the 7Plus app. The first Test in Galle, which begins on January 29, will run concurrently with the day-night Women’s Ashes Test at the MCG.
Seven’s Head of Cricket Joel Starcevic said, “This summer has shown us that Australians absolutely love their cricket and we can’t wait to bring even more action as Australia take on Sri Lanka.”
Every men’s Test tour has been televised in Australia for the past three decades. The last Test not shown in Australia was during the Pakistan tour in 1994.
But it will be the first non-Ashes full overseas men’s Test tour to be shown on free-to-air TV in Australia since Mark Taylor’s team played in South Africa in 1997, when Seven also owned the rights. In 2023 he broadcast the World Test Championship final between Australia and India at The Oval.
Foxtel has dominated the rights to Australia’s overseas matches since broadcasting the India and Pakistan tours in 1998. He broadcast Australia’s most recent Test series in Sri Lanka in 2022.
However, Foxtel has not regularly broadcast Test series from Sri Lanka without involving Australia, and therefore does not have a long-term agreement with them.
Foxtel recently agreed to the sale to British-based sports streaming platform DAZN, but this is still to be finalized in the first six months of 2025.
Amazon has won the rights to ICC events in the 2024-2027 cycle, including this year’s WTC Final, but the Australian arm of the streaming giant is yet to set foot in a bilateral series.
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