Thaindian News

Melbourne, Jan 18 (IANS) Lopsided Test matches in the ongoing series between India and Australia have cost Cricket Australia (CA) and host broadcaster Channel 9 millions of dollars in advertising revenue and loss in gate-takings.

With none of the five Tests this summer against New Zealand or India lasting five days, both CA and Channel 9 are having a tough time in terms of finances.

Channel 9 supremo David Gyngell said lost programming was affecting the channel as well as CA.

“It becomes challenging to support our advertisers’ needs. We have to make it up to them. In an average summer, you can lose three days play,” said Gyngell.

The network has always relied on advertising dollars from companies such as Vodafone, KFC and Harvey Norman - over a full Test. But this summer they have lost six days of play in five Tests.

“Losing six days means it’s eating into what advertisers expect us to deliver. Don’t get me wrong - we’re not whingeing. The cricket has been fantastic. The Australians have played great - I just wish they’d win over four and a half days instead of three,” Gygnell was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph.

CA is reeling under the loss of six days of ticket sales that amounts to $4.5 million in gate-takings. That’s an estimate from 60,000 sales at an average ticket price of $75.

“There is no doubt that winning games emphatically and early in the way we have creates far more public passion that losing matches the way we did last summer,” CA spokesman Peter Young said.

“The public interest in Test cricket is extraordinarily high at the moment and the total TV audience, even with lost time, is higher than it was for the same Ashes Tests in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth last year.

“Attendances have been great as well. Indeed, the Melbourne Test was a record attendance for any Australia-India Test,” he said.