“Australian Cricket is working collaboratively to understand potential global investment opportunities as we continue to grow and strengthen the game and ensure its long-term prosperity,” a Cricket Australia spokesman said. “We are talking to many relevant stakeholders with expertise, including investment banks, financial sponsors, commercial partners and key sporting groups.”
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The flat Cricket Australia broadcast deal with Fox Sports and Channel Seven for $1.5 billion over seven years has left cricket officials wondering how they can ensure the Big Bash salary cap receives the increase necessary to compete with the proliferation of T20 competitions cashed up by Indian businessmen.
This is part of negotiations between CA and the Australian Cricketers Association on the next memorandum of understanding, which is due to be finalised during the next month or so.
Germon’s interest in broadening revenue streams was piqued when New Zealand Rugby sold 6 per cent of their commercial operations to Silver Lake Capital for $200 million. This allowed the All Blacks to compete with the contracts being offered by Japanese and English club rugby and allowed greater investment in grassroots.
“Part of my trip overseas last year was to meet with a number of private equity firms to increase my understanding of why they invest in sport and what type of sport they invest in, and what do they think of the cricket landscape? I saw the cricket landscape was changing very quickly.”
