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CA, Seven set date for court showdown

3 minute read

Cricket Australia and its disgruntled broadcaster Seven West Media have agreed the next stage of their contract dispute will come in Federal Court on March 15.

Cricket Australia and Seven West Media's contract dispute is set to erupt in the Federal Court on March 15.

CA and its free-to-air broadcaster have been squabbling for much of the year about this summer and a six-year contract worth $450 million.

The tone was set in August when Seven chief executive James Warburton labelled CA "the most incompetent administration" he's ever worked with and a "train wreck".

Seven, which came to a relatively quick resolution with the AFL regarding a discount in broadcast fees, aired several grievances about the BBL and 2020/21 schedule in a sworn affidavit in the Federal Court that has been seen by AAP.

The affidavit foreshadows Seven may seek "many millions of dollars" because of a hit to its advertising revenue.

The feuding parties have now agreed to a date in court as Seven seeks to obtain CA documents and argue that India's cricket board, rather than the COVID-19 pandemic, is to blame for the revamped schedule.

CA has rarely fired back publicly during the spat, although earlier this month chief executive Nick Hockley said it was disappointing Seven was using "the media to talk our wonderful game down".

Cricket Tasmania chairman Andrew Gaggin also raged at Seven's "Trump-like allegations" that incentive payments were the reason CA decided to start the BBL in a Tasmanian Hub, calling them "patently absurd and untrue".

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