Last Updated on 2 years by Charbel Coorey
Cricket News: Reasons why the crowds were low for Australia games at the T20 World Cup | Why was the crowd in Adelaide so low?
Australia’s must-win T20 World Cup match against Afghanistan felt like a bilateral T20 International. Empty seats dominated the coverage, which came as a surprise to some given the magnitude of the match and Friday night timeslot.
Is it really a surprise, though? In some corners, the consensus is that cricket is dead in Australia. However, that is a stretch, given the strong crowds and engagement for the Ashes last year. If engagement is down for that series, then it’s truly panic stations.
In terms of this World Cup, the general atmosphere among the public has matched the on-field performances. Flat. Grounds have been half-full on average for a host nation, with 18,672 fans turning out for the crunch game against Afghanistan at the 53,500-seat Adelaide Oval.
Why were the crowds low in Australia games?
In this article, we look at key reasons why the crowds and engagement for Australia games in this World Cup was on the lower side. We couple this with fans’ views on social media.
Ticket prices
The ticket prices for Australia matches were ridiculously priced. One adult ticket could potentially set a fan back at least $100. With the cost of living so high around the country at the moment, forking out so much on a ticket is not feasible for many. And this is before you even consider other expenses like travel and food.
T20 overkill in Australia
Test cricket is the most loved format in Australia. A player’s ability and status is often defined by how they perform in red-ball cricket.
However, the longer format has arguably taken a backseat, with the peak of Australia’s season (i.e. December to early February) dominated by the Big Bash. The move to a full home and away BBL season, part of Cricket Australia’s $1.2 billion broadcast deal in 2018, has had an extremely negative impact for a few key reasons.
Firstly, such long, drawn out seasons have led to viewer fatigue. Secondly, the absence of Australia’s best players due to Test duty has reduced the BBL’s quality. Thirdly, the international schedule and rise of other leagues – which now includes South Africa and UAE – means it has become more difficult to attract overseas talent.
Couple these factors with CA’s desire to cram in all three international formats, making it difficult for the usual fan to keep up.
Fan engagement low due to most matches behind a paywall
Speaking of the broadcast deal, the move to have most matches behind a paywall on Foxtel has hurt fan engagement. Over the decades, Channel Nine was the go-to option in the summer months. The cricket was on and people would tune in. In fact, up to a million viewers would tune in for an ODI match.
The situation has changed so much that fans were unaware that a recent T20 International against West Indies was even taking place.
The key for Cricket Australia going forward has to be making the action more accessible to fans. However, with Channel 7 keen to part ways with cricket at the end of the current deal, there is concern regarding what the next broadcast deal will look like. Channel Nine wants to keep the tennis (understandably), so who will take the cricket? And at what price?
Watch this space.
Time of year
Cricket is usually the talk of the town in late November until the end of January. The timing of this World Cup, just after the footy season and with weather still cold, has been a factor for fans.
Fans unable to relate to this Australia team
The sacking of Justin Langer earlier this year is still an event fans speak about, given the players had such influence over the coach’s position. Also, the controversy around players speaking out against sponsors has been a hot talking point. According to some fans, relating to the Australian cricket team now is not as easy as it used to be.
Cricket a dying sport run by a disfunctional organisation dictated to by woke over compensated and hugely disliked players. I mean seriously – who would want to attend matches, or support this Australian team.