BBL Privatisation Plans Stalled
Cricket Australia’s initiative to privatise stakes in the eight Big Bash League (BBL) franchises has been postponed after Queensland joined New South Wales in opposing the original proposal. Queensland Cricket, which manages the Brisbane Heat, had supported selling up to 49% of each franchise to private investors, with team valuations reaching as high as $200 million.
The cricket associations of Victoria, Western Australia, and Tasmania have expressed support for the privatisation plans. South Australia remains open to privatisation in other states but prefers to retain control over the Adelaide Strikers for the time being.
The opposition from Queensland and New South Wales has led Cricket Australia (CA) to delay the sell-off, initially planned for the 2027-28 season, and to consider alternative approaches.
CA CEO Todd Greenberg Comments on the Situation
CA chief executive Todd Greenberg stated that the market testing would have proceeded if five out of six states had agreed to the privatisation. However, with only four states in favour, the organisation must now reassess its strategy.
“Option A for us has always been ... that we do it at the same time to extract the maximum value in the market,”
“But clearly we’re not at that point, so we now have to reassess what comes next.
“We’ve just moved to trying to analyse what a different model might look like, and is there a model where some states are taking private capital and some states aren’t?
“We would have to get some deep analysis to understand the impacts on Australian cricket. Because to do this, it needs to benefit the entire sport, and we have to look at that lens in the decisions that we make.”
Greenberg confirmed that the BBL will continue as usual next season while CA explores additional revenue streams and strategies to remain competitive with international white-ball competitions such as The Hundred in the UK.
Global Franchise Cricket Market and Investment Interest
The England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) auction for The Hundred franchises last year raised approximately A$1 billion, reflecting the growing financial momentum in franchise cricket worldwide, driven by the Indian Premier League (IPL). This trend extends to markets such as South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
Greenberg noted that some Australian states are keen on Indian Premier League franchises acquiring stakes in BBL clubs, while others are less enthusiastic.
“Our view is that’s not a step the sport would accept, to back itself on wagering, is not a way to fund the game, and it’s been very clear from the CA board,”
he said, rejecting New South Wales’ alternative funding model, which involved increasing gambling revenue linked to cricket.
Future of Private Investment and Franchise Branding
Greenberg acknowledged that private investment is inevitable if Australian cricket aims to compete globally. He also indicated that such investment might lead to changes in franchise colours and branding.
“There’ll be some states who will have a great affinity to their brand and their colours, and there’ll be some states who don’t. And I’m sure there’ll be some investors who will look at brands and colours and see that as a huge part of their investment, and others who won’t.”
