Seven BBL matches will be broadcast live in the United States on the NBC Sports Network next season, in what Cricket Australia has described as a “watershed moment”.
CA has announced details of new broadcast deals for the USA and Canada, and while it has renewed an existing deal with Willow, the addition of NBCSN to its list of broadcast partners is a major coup given its reach into American households.
As part of basic cable packages, NBCSN is available in nearly 85 million US households, and the network will show a weekly BBL “match of the round” live and on replay, and all the tournament finals will also be aired on delay.
Ben Amarfio, Cricket Australia’s executive general manager of media, communications and marketing, described the arrangement as “one of the most important deals we’ve done”.
“The addition of NBCSN is a watershed moment for Australian cricket in the US,” Amarfio said in a statement. “It is the first time Australian cricket will be available to such a broad mainstream audience and we think that not only will the 10 million plus sub-continent, Caribbean, UK, South Africa and Australia diaspora throughout the US be excited about cricket being so easily accessible, but Americans, in general, will also embrace the Big Bash League.”
Courtesy: ESPNcricinfo
