Cricket Australia has increased its COVID-19 bio bubble budget:
Cricket Australia now worried to save its multi-million dollar deal of broadcasting with Channel 7. That’s why it has overshot its COVID-19 bio-bubble budget, which stands at a massive near about 30 million dollars with spectator area India tour and the Big Bash League (BBL) is part of the budget.
Team India tour to Australia is scheduled at the end of this year for a four-Test series.
As per the report, the bio-security budget of Cricket Australia for the summer season has blown up after AUD 30 million according to the governing council takes interest to prevent its broadcast rights with strict rules amid the relationship breakdown with Seven West Media.
As per the report:
Now Channel Seven endangered to dismiss its AUD 300 million along with broadcast rights as it felt that the Cricket Australia was not giving any importance to the Big Bash League.
Furthermore, the report stated that the threat of channel seven to walk away from the league has highlighted the determination of Cricket Australia to protect the season against infection in the Big Bash League or an international series bio-secure bubble, the result of which could be a terrible break of television contracts and a loss of content.
While in the month of May, Kevin Roberts, the former CEO of Cricket Australia projected a budget for bio-bubble of AUD 10 million, the price has boosted three-fold after the COVID-19 second wave hit Australia, in which the state of Victoria is severely impacted.
The report added that the infection has increased costs nearly three times that amount because of the second wave of the coronavirus, with the budget covering everything starting from charter flights to booking out complete hotel allotment and buying COVID-19 kits themselves.
For Cricket Australia, this Australian summer tournament with India is very much important, which has been in a heavy budget crisis since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and had to cut-off maximum staff members as part of cost-cutting measures.