Spokesperson says speculation the ABC radio's long-standing partnership with CA is set to end is 'incorrect'
CA dismisses report of ABC radio snub
Cricket Australia has dismissed a report that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation will miss out on the next round of radio rights.
Channel Nine's Wide World of Sports has reported that CA will end their long-standing partnership with the ABC, the public broadcaster that has covered international cricket in Australia for more than 80 years.
But CA on Thursday moved to allay fears fans would no longer be able to tune into to the ABC's coverage of international cricket next summer.
"We are currently finalising our radio rights negotiation and are comfortable with this process," a Cricket Australia spokesperson said.
"Current media speculation is incorrect. An announcement on these rights will be made in due course."
The ABC first started broadcasting international cricket in Australia in the 1930s, with ball-by-ball information of Tests in England relayed back to Sydney where commentators described the match and made their own sounds effects by tapping a pencil on a desk to simulate the sound of ball on willow.
It has since covered cricket continuously for more than 80 years. Commercial outlets Macquarie and Triple M have also broadcast international and domestic cricket in recent years under the most recent rights deal.
It's expected the next round of radio rights will again be non-exclusive, meaning multiple radio stations will be able to broadcast matches.
The Seven Network and Fox Sports in April purchased the television rights for the Australian summer of cricket for the next six years after signing a $1.182 billion deal with CA, ending a long-running association with Channel Nine.
Seven will broadcast all men's Test matches and all Commonwealth Bank women's internationals as well as 43 KFC Big Bash League and 23 Rebel Women's BBL games each season.
The Gillette men's one-day and T20 internationals will be shown exclusively on Fox Sports, as will the remaining 16 men's BBL matches not shown on Seven.
Fox will also show the matches that will be broadcast on free-to-air by Seven – all men's Tests, all women's internationals, the 43 BBL matches and 23 WBBL games – as part of a deal that includes a dedicated cricket channel.
The agreement marks the first time in 40 years that Nine has not broadcast the summer of cricket, though the network already has deals in place to broadcast Australia's ongoing Qantas Tour of the United Kingdom as well as the 2019 Ashes series, the 2019 World Cup in the UK and the men's and women's 2020 World T20 tournaments in Australia.