Ashes fallout continues as Seven faces $7m revenue hit from two-day Tests
The Ashes hangover continues after Channel Seven partly blamed a $7m revenue shortfall on the pair of two-day Tests during the Australian summer, which were triggered by England’s capitulation in Perth and a pitch in Melbourne that proved too difficult for both sides to subdue,The impact of the unusually brief series is still rippling through the game, leaving lower-than-expected returns for the cash-strapped sport and even Australia’s players, who have a revenue share agreement with the governing body,Half-yearly results issued on Wednesday by Southern Cross Media Group, parent company of Seven West Media, reported revenue of $712m for Australia’s free-to-air broadcaster of the Ashes, down 2,1% on last year and down 1% on guidance provided at November’s AGM,The turnaround between expected and realised revenue over such a short timeframe was put down to waning interest from those booking ads, and the cricket.
Earnings were $67m, down 27% on the preceding period.“The revenue shortfall to guidance is attributable to a weaker than expected advertising market in November and December, and the impact of shortened Perth and Melbourne Ashes Test match broadcasts,” the company said in a statement.In Perth, a blistering Travis Head century ended the first Test in two days, leading to refunds for day three and four ticket-holders.The MCG Test finished the same way, after curator Matthew Page said the pitch went “too far”.Seven and subscription TV provider Foxtel are midway through a $1.
5bn, seven-year deal to broadcast international cricket over the Australian summer.When advertisers have already booked slots during programs which do not end up being aired, networks typically offer other inventory as “make-goods”.But the results suggest there has also been an immediate financial impost.Cricket Australia (CA) also suffered losses.The hit from the Perth Test was estimated at $4m, and on Boxing Day – at the 100,000-capacity MCG – the shortfall was reportedly as high as $10m.
In late January, the CA chief executive, Todd Greenberg, said the briefer-than-expected series “hurt”.“I’m not in the business of giving money back, it doesn’t come naturally, so I would have much preferred those days to go on,” he told The Grade Cricketer podcast.The impact extends beyond the governing body and its broadcast partners.“There’s some irony for the players too, because when I sat on the side of the players [at the Australian Cricketers’ Association] we generated a revenue share agreement, so they take 27% of every dollar we earn,” Greenberg said.“I went down to the sheds to see all the boys at the end of the Perth Test including Trav [Head] and he was like, ‘Sorry boss, we probably cost you some money.
’ I said ‘Trav, you’ve probably cost yourself some money too.’”Cricket Australia reported a $11.3m loss for 2024-25, but is anticipating returning a profit for the current summer.
Winter Olympics briefing: Klæbo triumphs again … and is hungry for golden record
Day four of the Milano Cortina Games, and one question is starting to feel a little rhetorical: how do you stop Johannes Høsflot Klæbo? Short answer – you don’t. You just race for second and hope he smiles at you on the way past.On Tuesday, the Norwegian cross-country phenomenon did what he has been doing all week: made world-class athletes look as if they were chasing a mirage. Technique? Flawless. Tactics? Ruthless
Suffocating Scotland key to Borthwick’s plan for England Calcutta Cup success | Robert Kitson
England’s players normally look forward to a Calcutta Cup examination at Murrayfield with about as much enthusiasm as a trip to the dentist. At best it tends to be uncomfortable, at worst it’s grip-the-chair-and-pray time. And that’s before they are wheeled out into the freezing rain and the hygienist produces a set of bagpipes to enhance the experience even further.So it was more than a little unnerving to listen to Steve Borthwick talking about his team’s genuine enthusiasm for what lies in store. Never mind all the recurring pain they have endured in Edinburgh in recent years, with three defeats in their past four visits
Super League 2026: team-by-team guide to the new season
Hull KR are the team to beat again, tough times are ahead for promoted trio and Leeds might be back to their bestThe former Super League champions are back after a 12-year absence, and Bradford have had to rebuild their squad for a full-time return to the top flight after being a part-time operation in recent years. Most of that recruitment was done late in the day owing to promotion not being confirmed until October, meaning their first year back could be a difficult one.Coach Kurt Haggerty Captain Joe Mellor Key player Andy Ackers Last season 3rd in Championship Prediction 14thIt is a new-look Castleford in 2026, who have brought in 14 signings including a raft of talent from the NRL led by eye-catching recruits Semi Valemei, Mikaele Ravalawa and Blake Taaffe. Their new coach, Ryan Carr, is highly regarded too and while the Tigers will improve on last year’s disappointment, the playoffs looks likely to be a stretch too far this year.Coach Ryan Carr Captain Alex Mellor Key player Blake Taaffe Last season 11th Prediction 9thThe Dragons, now one of two French teams in Super League, are among a handful of clubs who will be jostling for the lower end of the playoff places
Qatar’s beIN Sports wins LA 2028 media rights in buildup to 2036 Olympics bid
Qatar’s bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games has received a boost with the state-owned broadcaster beIN Sports concluding a media rights deal for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.It is understood that beIN has won the rights to broadcast LA 2028 in the Middle East and north Africa (Mena) region, with the contract signed by the International Olympic Committee president, Kirsty Coventry, and the beIN chair, Nasser al-Khelaifi, over the last few days at the Winter Games in Milan Cortina.Khelaifi is not a member of the Qatar Olympic Committee that is running the bid to bring the Games to Doha, while beIN has no formal role in promoting it. The Paris Saint‑Germain president is a board member of the sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority, however.BeIN acquired Olympic rights in 2015, and last week secured a last‑minute deal to show the Winter Games on its streaming platform, TOD
Jordan Stolz: the American speed skater who could define the Olympics
The 21-year-old has dominated speed skating for three years running. In the next 11 days, he could become not just an Olympic champion but the face of the Winter GamesEach Winter Olympics produces one or two figures who come to define it. The stars whose performances transcend result sheets and medal tables and settle into memory as shorthand for the event itself. For decades, America has waited for their next one: someone capable of cutting through the noise of the crowded sports landscape and centering themselves in the national conversation.Jordan Stolz may be him
Ashes fallout continues as Seven faces $7m revenue hit from two-day Tests
The Ashes hangover continues after Channel Seven partly blamed a $7m revenue shortfall on the pair of two-day Tests during the Australian summer, which were triggered by England’s capitulation in Perth and a pitch in Melbourne that proved too difficult for both sides to subdue.The impact of the unusually brief series is still rippling through the game, leaving lower-than-expected returns for the cash-strapped sport and even Australia’s players, who have a revenue share agreement with the governing body.Half-yearly results issued on Wednesday by Southern Cross Media Group, parent company of Seven West Media, reported revenue of $712m for Australia’s free-to-air broadcaster of the Ashes, down 2.1% on last year and down 1% on guidance provided at November’s AGM.The turnaround between expected and realised revenue over such a short timeframe was put down to waning interest from those booking ads, and the cricket
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