Cricket World Cup and Test Championship broadcast rights sold to Amazon Prime in shock agreement

Australia’s World Test Championship and ODI World Cup defences will be shown exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

The streaming platform has secured the broadcast rights in Australia for all men’s and women’s International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments.

Foxtel/Kayo broadcast the entire recent ODI World Cup, while the Nine Network screened Australia’s games and a handful of others. But under this new deal there will be no free-to-air element.

In Australia men’s home Tests and all women’s internationals remain on free-to-air with Seven, but men’s white-ball internationals are with Foxtel. Men’s away Ashes series in 2027 and 2031 will be shown on the Nine Network.

The move comes just days after the federal government reaffirmed its commitment to sport anti-siphoning measures.

Communications minister Michelle Rowland last week introduced laws to parliament updating anti-siphoning measures that would require free-to-air services to be offered first refusal for important sporting events.

“All Australians regardless of where they live, or what they earn, should have the opportunity to enjoy free TV coverage of iconic sporting events,” Rowland said.

ICC boss Geoff Allardice welcomed the partnership with Amazon.

“We are very excited to be entering a new four-year partnership with Prime Video for ICC cricket rights in Australia,” he said in a statement. “The recently concluded men’s World Cup has highlighted the interest and passion for ICC events across the globe, and especially in Australia where cricket fans have enjoyed the recent success of their men’s and women’s teams.

“We look forward to working with Prime Video Australia to provide an innovative coverage of world class cricket to more fans in Australia.”

The new partnership between the ICC and Amazon, who also broadcast New Zealand’s home internationals into India, will begin in January with the men’s Under-19 World Cup with the first senior tournament being the men’s T20 World Cup in West Indies and the USA. Later in the year, Australia’s women will be involved in their T20 World Cup in Bangladesh during September and October.

Meanwhile, Amazon also confirmed a third season of the Test documentary would be released in 2024 which will cover this year’s Ashes series in England which finished 2-2.

“As a cricket fan, I couldn’t wait to see what happened when the unstoppable force of ‘BazBall’ batting came up against the best test bowling lineup in the world. The 2023 Ashes were the most closely contested and memorable of recent times, and I am delighted to be able to relive them along with our customers in Australia and around the world,” said Hushidar Kharas, head of Prime Video Australia and New Zealand.

The first season of the Test followed the fallout of the 2019 ball-tampering scandal, while the second released last year followed the 2021-22 men’s Ashes and tours of Pakistan and Sri Lanka. ESPN Cricinfo