Interim Cricket Australia chair David Boon declared the sport’s governing body will plough on with contentious privatisation plans for the Big Bash League, as the organisation revealed it had weathered the financial storms caused by last summer’s pair of two-day Ashes Tests to swing back into the black.
Outgoing chairman Mike Baird presided over his final annual general meeting on Wednesday, having last month lost the support of his home state, Cricket NSW, to carry on as a director, amid ructions over plans to privatise BBL clubs. NSW has vehemently opposed privatisation.
Cricket Victoria is pushing to sell-off 100 per cent of the Melbourne Renegades by the end of this year, while other states are considering their options under a “self-determination” model suggested by South Australia.
In his maiden speech as interim chair, Boon, the former Test batsman and match referee, said he was keen to push on with the “self-determination” model, and wanted to forge “greater unity” across the country. CA running a search to appoint a full-time chair, with Boon filling the role on an interim basis.
Baird was on the board for six years, and chairman since February 2023.
In his farewell speech, Baird maintained privatisation was needed to ensure long-term investment in Australian cricket.
“There has been a difference in opinion and that’s what happens. In life, you will face all types of different challenges and opportunities. You don’t always agree. We are in a position where not everyone agrees and that can co-exist, we can still move forward, but not necessarily all agree,” Baird said.
“Certainly from a CA point of view … we think that a few private partners in our Big Bash clubs helps to secure our future, can make us collectively better, with a strong belief that private investment with appropriate safeguards can keep the Big Bash as the dominant league, can keep the January window the dominant window for Big Bash outside of the IPL … we think this good. Long term, we think this is exciting for fans, it gives us a stronger financial future.”
The Australian Financial Review has reported that 30 prospective investors have signed up for the expressions-of-interest stage in the BBL.
Suitors have had access to a data room, and the auction is expected to attract interest from Indian billionaires, including the Ambani family and GMR – a major player in the Indian Premier League – as well as American sports investors.
Baird’s position on the CA board has been filled by former Test batsman Ed Cowan, who was officially elected on Wednesday.
Ahead of what became a winter of discontent, CA said the BBL was the most watched sports league on a per-game basis, with an average audience of 808,000 viewers nationally per match. The BBL15 final was held before a sell-out crowd of 55,018, a record crowd in Perth.
The WBBL11 had the highest average audience per game (128,000) since matches were broadcast.
Despite fears the sport’s governing body would again be in the red, having suffered a net loss of $11.3 million in 2024-25, and a whopping $31.9 million loss in 2023-24, Baird and chief executive officer Todd Greenberg were able to declare a net profit of $81.8 million for the 2025-26 season, a $93.2m turnaround and $2.9 million ahead of budget, because of a home Ashes series and a white-ball series against India.
However, Greenberg warned there would be “significant losses” over the next two years because of scheduling and a cyclical decline in media revenue.
“The strong financial result was anticipated and largely driven by the delivery of a successful cricket season featuring the men’s Ashes series against England and the broadcast revenue associated with the men’s white-ball series against India,” Baird and Greenberg wrote in the annual report.
“These blockbuster events generated record levels of media, commercial and match-day revenue, while ongoing focus on cost management supported improved profitability across the business.
“CA closed the year with cash, cash equivalents and invested term deposits totalling $87.5m, which provides financial stability as we continue the ‘thrive’ phase of our five-year strategy and focus on growing the game and supporting a strong Australian cricket ecosystem.”
The two-day Tests in Perth and Melbourne against England were a financial disaster for CA.
England’s capitulation in Perth cost an estimated $5 million in ticket and match-day revenue, while the MCG debacle cost an estimated $25 million in lost ticket sales, hospitality, food/beverage, and broadcast revenue.
This was offset by an overall increase in media, broadcasting and marketing revenue, commercial sponsorship and match income, but employee benefits, including CA player payments, jumped.
Overall, CA posted record revenue of $601.1 million for the season.
CA said the Ashes series was the highest-rating Test series since the partnership of broadcasters Fox Sports and Seven, with a daily average audience of 1.76 million. A total of 859,580 fans, averaging 47,754, attended the 18 days of cricket.
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Jon Pierik is a sports journalist at The Age. He covers AFL and has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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