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

Australian cricket fans are set to miss out on seeing the men’s national team defend the one day international World Cup and Test Championship after broadcast rights were sold to US streaming giant Amazon Prime. Announcing the deal on Monday, the International Cricket Council revealed Amazon Prime had secured the rights for all men’s and women’s ICC tournaments. Those include Australia’s defence of the Men’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan in 2025 and the next cricket World Cup, to be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in 2027. The deal means next year’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA will also be behind a paywall. The shock agreement comes just days after the Federal Government reaffirmed its commitment to sport anti-siphoning measures. But those measures only protect cricket matches played by the national team on home soil. All matches played in Australia will remain on free-to-air television, on Channel Seven. Foxtel and Kayo broadcast the recent ODI World Cup, with only Australia’s games shown on free-to-air television. ICC boss Geoff Allardice welcomed the deal with Amazon Prime. “We are very excited to be entering a new four-year partnership with Amazon Prime 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 Amazon Prime to provide an innovative coverage of world-class cricket to more fans in Australia.” The new partnership will begin in January. “Over the next four years, Prime members in Australia will be able to watch their favourite cricket teams and players compete for the game’s biggest prize, on demand, on the device of their choice — exclusively on Amazon Prime,” the company’s Australia and New Zealand boss Hushidar Kharas said. 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.