Last Updated on 2 months by Charbel Coorey
Cricket Australia (CA) are considering privatising the Big Bash League (BBL). Currently, CA owns all eight teams but are mulling the possibility of private investors to provide a financial boost to the competition.
CA also faces some external pressure to make the move. Boston Consulting Group urged CA to sell off even minority stakes in each team as the ECB have done with The Hundred, which provided a huge cash injection.
Also, the BBL faces stiff competition from South Africa’s SA20 and UAE’s ILT20 leagues, both of which begin during the BBL season. As a result, several players leave the competition to join different teams overseas.
However, while privatisation seems a viable way to make the competition more attractive to overseas stars, it is not a guarantee that the move will be as successful in Australia as it was for a brand new tournament in South Africa, for example.
CEO Todd Greenberg confirmed CA are exploring this option, but nothing is in concrete at this stage.
“That [privatising the BBL] will upset some people, and it will set the hares racing and potentially of people debating the merits,” Greenberg said earlier this month, as quoted by ABC News.
“It would be completely naive of us sitting here in Australia to not explore it. I’m not suggesting that we’re going to do it yet.
“I’m not suggesting there’s been a decision made, and ultimately it won’t just be my decision or Cricket Australia’s decision. It will be the whole of leadership of Australian cricket, and it has to be beneficial for everyone.”
Should CA look at privatising the BBL? 3 risks to consider
There are crucial factors for CA to consider before making this move. Here are three risks.
What will it mean for Australia’s Test summer?
Cricket is quite seasonal, with fever reaching its peak during the summer months after the major football codes, namely NRL and AFL, have completed their respective seasons.
Tests remain very popular in Australia. According to CricBlog’s future of Test cricket survey, 95.6% of Australia fans who participated said Test cricket is their favourite format.
The top stars, including Steve Smith, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, prioritise Tests, often during the BBL season By privatising the BBL, CA need to consider the investors’ wishes. It is not out of line to assume they would want all top stars available for the BBL to make the most of their investment.
This is an identical situation to the one South Africa faced in 2024, where the Proteas took a significantly under-strength team to New Zealand during the SA20 season.
So, if investors want the top stars available, what will CA do and how would it affect the season? The next point will paint the picture.
BBL works well in a specific window
The BBL works very well during mid-late December and January. If investors want the top stars to be available, this means either changing the BBL’s window or shifting Test cricket around to accommodate. The latter is a no-go zone given the Boxing Day and New Year’s Tests a crucial part of Australia’s sporting identity.
So, one option would be to start the BBL once Australia’s Test season ends in January. However, the risk is the school year begins soon after in February, potentially meaning lower crowds and fan engagement as the BBL has been shifted away from the peak school holiday period.
How will Australia fans respond to new team names and identities?
With privatisation comes potential name changes. Teams in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) have new names, while the SA20 has team names in line with those in the IPL. Now, teams in the Hundred will be re-branded, with an example being the Oval Invincibles changing to MI London.
The key difference is neither the SA20 or Hundred have been around as long as the BBL. Fans have becomed accustomed to the eight teams in the league and all have built an identity over a number of years. The likes of Perth Scorchers, Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Stars are household names.
A key factor CA must consider is how fans would respond to changes like MI Perth or Sydney Royals. The identity of the BBL would be flipped upside down. Perhaps CA could look at an agreement which keeps all team names the same, but would that invite the same level of investment? Time will tell.
The 15th season of the BBL kicks off on 14th December between Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers, two of the competition’s most successful teams. The final will take place on January 25, 2026.
