{"id":127243,"date":"2025-09-08T07:09:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T07:09:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/127243\/"},"modified":"2025-09-08T07:09:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T07:09:10","slug":"free-tv-takes-swing-at-amazon-over-free-cricket-coverage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/127243\/","title":{"rendered":"Free TV takes swing at Amazon over free cricket coverage"},"content":{"rendered":"

The peak body for Australia\u2019s commercial TV broadcasters has struck out at Amazon\u2019s plan to offer all matches of the forthcoming ICC Women\u2019s Cricket World Cup live and free to all Australians, saying the offering is a bait and switch.<\/p>\n

Amazon\u2019s Prime Video will offer live and free streams of all 31 matches in the upcoming tournament. Viewers must log in with a free Amazon account to access the matches \u2014 no payment or \u2018trial\u2019 period is required.<\/p>\n

Free TV\u2019s CEO Bridget Fair issued a press release over the weekend arguing that \u201cAmazon says it will be making this tournament available for free, but we all know with Amazon there\u2019s no such thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fair claims \u201cthis is just a means to grow their subscriber base, acquire user data and upsell\u201d and the deal \u2014 struck in December 2023 \u2014 \u201cshows how quickly our major sporting events can be snapped up by global streaming platforms that have no obligation to provide universal access.\u201d<\/p>\n

ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n

Free TV members visited Parliament House in Canberra last week to lobby for the tightening of the anti-siphoning rules, in order to ensure free-to-air networks have first right of refusal for streaming rights \u2014 as well as the broadcast rights \u2014 for major sporting events.<\/p>\n

A \u2018loophole\u2019 in anti-siphoning laws allows overseas streaming services to outbid local free-to-air providers for digital rights. The loophole was not closed in changes to the anti-siphoning laws passed last year.<\/a><\/p>\n

Fair argued \u201cthe need to close the digital loophole in the anti-siphoning list is more urgent than ever\u201d and that \u201cglobal streaming companies are coming for our beloved national sports\u201d. She then presented a hypothetical scenario where Amazon will \u201coffer the event for free until the competition is knocked out and then make everybody pay.\u201d<\/p>\n

She concludes that \u201cultimately, Australians will be forced to pay to watch their national teams compete.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nine held the free-to-air broadcast rights to the 2023 ICC Men\u2019s Cricket World Cup, but opted against securing the rights for the Women\u2019s World Cup \u2014 a decision that copped criticism at the time<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Instead, Foxtel \u2014 who had on-sold the ICC rights to Nine, and who is not a member of Free TV \u2014 chose to broadcast the finals on Kayo Freebies, making them available for free to Australians, although there was no legislative onus to do so.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Alyssa Healy<\/p>\n

At the time, Australian women\u2019s cricket captain Alyssa Healy called Nine\u2019s decision<\/a> not to bother with the Women\u2019s World Cup \u201ca slap in the face\u201d. In Amazon\u2019s media release, Healy notes that \u201cthe women\u2019s game continues to grow globally and maintaining strong visibility is essential to that growth\u201d, adding: \u201cIt\u2019s great that fans will be able to watch the tournament on Prime Video for free.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2023, Amazon acquired the exclusive broadcasting rights to all men\u2019s and women\u2019s ICC events until 2027. This includes the Men\u2019s and Women\u2019s World Cups, T20 World Cups, Champions Trophy, U19s World Cups, and the World Test Championship Final.<\/p>\n

Last year, Prime offered short 10- and 25- minute highlight packages from the ICC Women\u2019s T20 World Cup for free on Prime Video.<\/p>\n

Alexandra Gilbert, head of content at Prime Video Australia, said \u201cwe\u2019re not only delighting our customers and maximising the visibility for these outstanding athletes \u2013 but also inspiring the next generation of female cricketers.\u201d<\/p>\n

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