Seven gets $5.3m cricket fee reduction

Cricket Australia could provide up to an $8.3 million discount to broadcaster Seven West Media, in light of the financial impact from changes to the current season.

On Friday, Seven said an independent expert appointed by the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration had determined that $5.3 million be deducted from the next scheduled rights fee, due today.

The arbitrator also said a further $3 million should be deducted if Australia’s rescheduled one-off Test against Afghanistan does not take place in the 2020-21 season.

Though, it has been reported Seven was asking for a 20 per cent annual discount for the remaining years of its rights deal with Cricket Australia.

Seven took action against the sporting association in the Federal Court today.

Seven also noted in its Friday announcement that the ACICA independent expert – Venture Consulting chief executive Justin Jameson – might not have “fundamental contractual conditions of independence under the media rights agreement”.

The network today took action against what it referred to as “quality failures” by Cricket Australia in the Federal Court.