Free-to-air rights secured for Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka tour

Cricket fans will be able to watch every ball of Australia’s upcoming tour of Sri Lanka on free-to-air TV.

Channel 7 have purchased broadcast rights for the series.

It was previously feared the tour could be the first in over 30 years to not be broadcast on television in Australia, with talks stalling between usual broadcasters Foxtel and Sri Lanka cricket over the rights.

For decades Foxtel have been the primary home for Australian Test and limited-overs cricket overseas, with only Ashes series in England and 2023’s World Test Championship final broadcast on free-to-air TV.

However, Seven announced during coverage of the third Women’s Ashes ODI between Australia and England that the two-Test Warne-Muralitharan Trophy series, as well as the tour’s two ODIs, will be broadcast live and free on their channel, as well as online streaming services 7Plus.

What this summer has shown us is that Australians absolutely love their cricket, and we cannot wait to deliver even more action as Australia takes on Sri Lanka,” Seven’s Head of Cricket Joel Starcevic said in a statement.

(Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)

“Following an exhilarating Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series, two of the greatest WBBL and BBL seasons in recent history and the intensity of the current Women’s Ashes Series on home soil, the addition of Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka cements Seven and 7plus Sport as the undisputed home of cricket.”

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The announcement continues Seven’s bizarre relationship with Australian cricket, having famously taken Cricket Australia to the courts amid a fierce dispute over the governing body’s alleged violation of their rights agreement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The dispute was primarily centred on the network’s dissatisfaction with the Big Bash League.

However, the lawsuit was dropped in late 2022, with both parties patching things up.

Beginning with the first Test in Galle on Wednesday, January 29, the tour will be Australia’s final Tests before June’s World Test Championship final against South Africa.

Steve Smith will captain the Test team with Pat Cummins unavailable on paternity leave, and is expected to become the third Australian to reach 10,000 Test runs, having finished the summer’s India series on 9999 runs.

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