Seven’s summer coverage of Test and Big Bash League (BBL) matches reached 10.5 million Australians nationally, achieving close to 50% of all-people commercial audience share.
According to the broadcaster, the live and free coverage reached 7.1 million from capital cities, which delivered a 43.2% share of the all-people commercial audience.
Seven also reported BBL attendance has risen by 24% this summer, while Test match attendance has seen a 16% increase despite the wet weather across the nation this summer.
Lewis Martin, managing director of Seven Melbourne and head of network sport, said the performance served as “the perfect set up for the next two massive summers of cricket, live and free on Seven and, for the first time, 7plus.”
Martin commented on the anticipation for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 summers, with high-stakes Tests and the promise of delivering “the biggest women’s season” to date.
Over Seven’s Summer of Cricket, three Australia v Pakistan Tests collectively drew in 8.75 million viewers nationally (5.8 million in capital cities), with an average national viewership of 725,000. This reflects a 3% increase nationally and a 4% rise in capital cities compared to the previous season.
See also: Cricket TV ratings: Australia v Pakistan Tests draw big crowds across Australia on Seven
The first Test in Perth experienced a notable 29% increase nationally (31% in capital cities) year-on-year, while the third Test saw a 3% national and 4% capital city increase.
Despite weather-related interruptions, the BBL secured 8.2 million people, including 5.4 million in metropolitan areas. The BBL’s average season-to-date national audience is 484,000, indicating growth in capital cities, particularly a 24% increase in Brisbane and a 2% uptick in Melbourne.
Martin said: “With big crowds, strong audience numbers and exciting matches, it’s been a hot summer of cricket so far on Seven – and we’re not finished yet, with the Australia v West Indies Tests, the high-energy BBL finals and a cracking Women’s International Series still to come.”
He remarked, “Cricket on 7plus will be a game-changer for fans and the sport alike,” acknowledging the collaborative efforts with Cricket Australia in planning and scheduling this summer’s matches, with preparations for the next two cricket seasons already in progress.
It follows last year’s move by Amazon’s Prime Video to snare the exclusive live broadcast rights for ICC cricket in Australia. The deal includes streaming rights in Australia for 448 live games from 2024 to 2027 on Prime Video Australia services and does not include an attached free-to-air partner.
See also: Seven claims trophy for Australia’s most-watched network calendar year