Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

Durhamfootman wrote:and are they really planning to have a championship season of 5 matches with titles, promotion and relegation at stake.... of course not..... they are expecting to scrap the championship season for 2020 but don't want to be seen to just ditch it in it's entirety in order to focus on the moola

Whilst I could understand the financial desire to focus on T20 in a curtailed season. is it not the least likely domestic format to be acceptable? It's a moneymaker because of big crowds but what are the chances that will be sanctioned before the end of the season?

captaincolly wrote:

Durhamfootman wrote:and are they really planning to have a championship season of 5 matches with titles, promotion and relegation at stake.... of course not..... they are expecting to scrap the championship season for 2020 but don't want to be seen to just ditch it in it's entirety in order to focus on the moola

Whilst I could understand the financial desire to focus on T20 in a curtailed season. is it not the least likely domestic format to be acceptable? It's a moneymaker because of big crowds but what are the chances that will be sanctioned before the end of the season?

I think that whatever is to be played this season will be played behind closed doors with International cricket and domestic T20 prioritised simply to safeguard the TV contracts. Reluctantly, we have to accept that spectator sport will be the last priority.
Now whatever happened to that OWZTHAT game I had as a kid?

westoelad wrote:

captaincolly wrote:

Durhamfootman wrote:and are they really planning to have a championship season of 5 matches with titles, promotion and relegation at stake.... of course not..... they are expecting to scrap the championship season for 2020 but don't want to be seen to just ditch it in it's entirety in order to focus on the moola

Whilst I could understand the financial desire to focus on T20 in a curtailed season. is it not the least likely domestic format to be acceptable? It's a moneymaker because of big crowds but what are the chances that will be sanctioned before the end of the season?

I think that whatever is to be played this season will be played behind closed doors with International cricket and domestic T20 prioritised simply to safeguard the TV contracts. Reluctantly, we have to accept that spectator sport will be the last priority.
Now whatever happened to that OWZTHAT game I had as a kid?

I suspect you'll be right. There was something in the paper about horse racing likely to resume within the next few weeks but with no spectators.

there is also talk of playing domestic cricket overseas. Thank goodness coronavirus isn't around anywhere else

Durhamfootman wrote:and are they really planning to have a championship season of 5 matches with titles, promotion and relegation at stake.... of course not..... they are expecting to scrap the championship season for 2020 but don't want to be seen to just ditch it in it's entirety in order to focus on the moola

Number of remaining rounds of County Championship from 1st July is six.

Naturally the ECB are going to focus on saving competitions and matches which generate the most income. Of £51 Million income from The Hundred, £44.5 Million of it is from broadcasting rights and sponsorship deals. Ticket revenue is only £4 Million so the tournament has scope to go ahead behind closed doors.

If international touring teams can't visit England, I can see The Hundred going ahead and being saviour. Worst thing that can happen for English Cricket is matches not going ahead because broadcasting rights effectively finance the county game.

I think they'll pull the not even T20 rather than risk it becoming a bit of a farce with teams full of English domestic players only, because all the big names are away somewhere else

You only get one chance at a first impression and something cobbled together at the last minute won't cut it.

The Dribble will probably go ahead though

Durhamfootman wrote:I think they'll pull the not even T20 rather than risk it becoming a bit of a farce with teams full of English domestic players only, because all the big names are away somewhere else

You only get one chance at a first impression and something cobbled together at the last minute won't cut it.

The Dribble will probably go ahead though

T20 Blast being played behind closed doors is pointless when the main source of income is ticket sales, though hopefully physical distancing measures will be lifted by then.

If the England Internationals and County matches go ahead in July, it probably makes sense to suspend The Hundred until. 2021. Although I would imagine the counties payment in future years will be reduced on a pro rata basis.

Alviro Patterson wrote:
T20 Blast being played behind closed doors is pointless when the main source of income is ticket sales, though hopefully physical distancing measures will be lifted by then.

If the England Internationals and County matches go ahead in July, it probably makes sense to suspend The Hundred until. 2021. Although I would imagine the counties payment in future years will be reduced on a pro rata basis.

The main source of income is television revenue NOT ticket sales. International games will be the priority, followed by Domestic T20, but behind closed doors. Harrison has been trying to fan the burning embers of the Hundred in recent days but, I suspect, that will be confined to the dustbin along with its creator.

westoelad wrote:

Alviro Patterson wrote:
T20 Blast being played behind closed doors is pointless when the main source of income is ticket sales, though hopefully physical distancing measures will be lifted by then.

If the England Internationals and County matches go ahead in July, it probably makes sense to suspend The Hundred until. 2021. Although I would imagine the counties payment in future years will be reduced on a pro rata basis.

The main source of income is television revenue NOT ticket sales. International games will be the priority, followed by Domestic T20, but behind closed doors. Harrison has been trying to fan the burning embers of the Hundred in recent days but, I suspect, that will be confined to the dustbin along with its creator.

England internationals and The Hundred are. Not entirely sure what the specific deal is for domestic cricket when counties are free to sell their own rights (excluding any matches shown on Sky).

T20 Blast ticket revenue is something that can't be afforded to be given up. Derbyshire make more money for hosting one match against Yorkshire at Chesterfield than all county championship games put together. The Roses T20 is worth in excess of £300,000 - probably more now with increased capacity at Headingley and pouring rights regained.

Alviro Patterson wrote:

westoelad wrote:

Alviro Patterson wrote:
T20 Blast being played behind closed doors is pointless when the main source of income is ticket sales, though hopefully physical distancing measures will be lifted by then.

If the England Internationals and County matches go ahead in July, it probably makes sense to suspend The Hundred until. 2021. Although I would imagine the counties payment in future years will be reduced on a pro rata basis.

The main source of income is television revenue NOT ticket sales. International games will be the priority, followed by Domestic T20, but behind closed doors. Harrison has been trying to fan the burning embers of the Hundred in recent days but, I suspect, that will be confined to the dustbin along with its creator.

England internationals and The Hundred are. Not entirely sure what the specific deal is for domestic cricket when counties are free to sell their own rights (excluding any matches shown on Sky).

T20 Blast ticket revenue is something that can't be afforded to be given up. Derbyshire make more money for hosting one match against Yorkshire at Chesterfield than all county championship games put together. The Roses T20 is worth in excess of £300,000 - probably more now with increased capacity at Headingley and pouring rights regained.

Agree, you've made a good case for T20 and consequently why there's no need for the Hundred-it appears that TV is quite happy to accept just domestic T20 and International cricket. Hundred is superfluous as is its creator. To quote Dobell in this month's Cricketer-"He can go and he can take his unnecessary,unwanted and unsustainable competition with him.

Plus the ECBs cash reserves.

Whichwere there to sustain us through crisis like the present.

Alviro Patterson wrote:Naturally the ECB are going to focus on saving competitions and matches which generate the most income. Of £51 Million income from The Hundred, £44.5 Million of it is from broadcasting rights and sponsorship deals. Ticket revenue is only £4 Million so the tournament has scope to go ahead behind closed doors.

The figure is 6.5 mill revenue from ticket sales. And its worth remembering that the cost metrics provided do not take into account the 23 million paid to the counties as a bonus. It leaves roughly 51 mill to 60 mill costs, a loss of 9 million which is projected to last 5 years. This changes behind closed doors to 44.5 mill to 60 mill, which is a far more signifiant loss. You have to remember that, as soon as you green light the competition you are locked to those agreements to pay for it. Players get paid for playing as per their contract, they are due bonuses are per their contract, or prize money… In short, with every ball bowled behind closed doors, the financial picture of the tournament becomes more grim. The ticket sales do not account for much in the revenue model, but they are the thing that drags it from catastrophic loss to manageable long term losing making venture thats worthwhile.

There comes the question, how long can the ECB keep the tournament going if it fails? Because firing it up at the wrong time and incurring more debt at the very least impacts how long that is viable. If they stated the risk of 5 years losses is worth it and expected, then incurring double loss means they have to be profitable sooner to make the project viable. With 100,000 ticket sold in the initial run, the people seem to have already voted with their feet; despite the ECB downplaying the figures of the T20 blast on purpose to make the hundred look better, the blast tipped a million last year. This competition already looks a white elephant, Coronavirus makes it look like a shining tower in a wasteland.

You also have to consider what agreements the ECB have with its stakeholders. Grounds are absorbing costs to provide venues for hosting, but they were promised 30 percent of all ticket sales. 30 percent of zero is….. zero. So actually to get venues to stump up a place to play, the ECB are going to have to offer more financial compensation. And that will have to be large. The majority of counties dont make money on tickets, its beers and burgers, parking, programmes, the club shop….

Taking an example of my last Sussex AGM financial year ends, ticket sale revenues were less than half the catering revenue on match day profits. People pay 15 quid for the ticket, and put 30 behind the bar. In fact, the average fan spend roughly the same in the club shop than they do on the ticket.

All that being lost means the ECB have to offer hosting counties money to replace that, or they might be inclined to just refuse. There is no money for a venue to host a game when there are no fans, so the ECBs costs will go up.

Another problem of running it is, how many people are going to be watching it on TV? If lockdowns all over Europe are ending in mid June, and the UK about 2 weeks behind on the Coronacurve, then how many people given their freedom to go outside will be stuck watching this tripe? Id imagine everyone will be outside as much a physically possible after 3 months trapped indoors. I very much doubt anyone will be wanting another few months of tv. I could see TV ratings across the board being flattened.

Even if not, what will happen at the start of the summer? Premier League starts, a month long bonanza of wall to wall football condensed and on everyday on tv… if the women and children arent in the park, they are probably watching football.

And 2021? Lol, could just imagine the Hundred competing with the Euros and the Olympics But at least the ratings it produced would be a bullet to the head this lame cow needs

sussexpob wrote:

Alviro Patterson wrote:Naturally the ECB are going to focus on saving competitions and matches which generate the most income. Of £51 Million income from The Hundred, £44.5 Million of it is from broadcasting rights and sponsorship deals. Ticket revenue is only £4 Million so the tournament has scope to go ahead behind closed doors.

The figure is 6.5 mill revenue from ticket sales. And its worth remembering that the cost metrics provided do not take into account the 23 million paid to the counties as a bonus. It leaves roughly 51 mill to 60 mill costs, a loss of 9 million which is projected to last 5 years. This changes behind closed doors to 44.5 mill to 60 mill, which is a far more signifiant loss. You have to remember that, as soon as you green light the competition you are locked to those agreements to pay for it. Players get paid for playing as per their contract, they are due bonuses are per their contract, or prize money… In short, with every ball bowled behind closed doors, the financial picture of the tournament becomes more grim. The ticket sales do not account for much in the revenue model, but they are the thing that drags it from catastrophic loss to manageable long term losing making venture thats worthwhile.

There comes the question, how long can the ECB keep the tournament going if it fails? Because firing it up at the wrong time and incurring more debt at the very least impacts how long that is viable. If they stated the risk of 5 years losses is worth it and expected, then incurring double loss means they have to be profitable sooner to make the project viable. With 100,000 ticket sold in the initial run, the people seem to have already voted with their feet; despite the ECB downplaying the figures of the T20 blast on purpose to make the hundred look better, the blast tipped a million last year. This competition already looks a white elephant, Coronavirus makes it look like a shining tower in a wasteland.

You also have to consider what agreements the ECB have with its stakeholders. Grounds are absorbing costs to provide venues for hosting, but they were promised 30 percent of all ticket sales. 30 percent of zero is….. zero. So actually to get venues to stump up a place to play, the ECB are going to have to offer more financial compensation. And that will have to be large. The majority of counties dont make money on tickets, its beers and burgers, parking, programmes, the club shop….

Taking an example of my last Sussex AGM financial year ends, ticket sale revenues were less than half the catering revenue on match day profits. People pay 15 quid for the ticket, and put 30 behind the bar. In fact, the average fan spend roughly the same in the club shop than they do on the ticket.

All that being lost means the ECB have to offer hosting counties money to replace that, or they might be inclined to just refuse. There is no money for a venue to host a game when there are no fans, so the ECBs costs will go up.

and what happens if The T20 Blast is played behind closed doors? Counties face the same problem in staging matches without matchday income. Fulfilling 126 combined group stage matches is not going to be cheap. At least with The Hundred, ticket sales are already insured in the same way as England matches.

If overseas players can't play, they are guaranteed 12.5% of their draft fee. Replace the overseas players with domestic players on a £30k draft fee represents savings of £1.33 Million.

Based on a test match costing £50k per day to stage, 33 Hundred matches including Finals Day cost £1.65 Million. Not having overseas players will cover the staging costs alone. Playing two Hundred matches a day at the same venue on some days can reduce costs further and have a tournament timeframe closer to 3 weeks than a month.

The eight Hundred venues might take a hit on matchday income if matches are played behind closed doors, but that is better than all 18 counties losing £1.3 Million for non fulfillment of The Hundred.

As for other sports, a fair amount of events are cancelled or delayed due to coronavirus so The Hundred gains an advantage. From a Sky and BBC point of view, they will be dead keen in getting the tournament on.