Nine officially launched the 2016/17 International Summer of Cricket to advertisers today at a lunch at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art, ahead of the season officially starting on November 3.

Celebrating what is set to be the biggest coverage of cricket in the history of Nine broadcasting the sport, the crowd heard from Nine’s Chief Sales Officer, Michael Stephenson, Director of Sales – Sport, Sam Brennan, Tom Malone, Director of Sport, along with members of the 2016/17 commentary team including Bill Lawry, Ian Chappell, Ian Healy and Michael Slater.

Sam Brennan, Nine’s Director of Sales – Sport, said: “Buying cricket is about owning those moments that matter the most to all Australians, and now, more than ever, Nine’s summer of cricket offers more moments and more opportunities to tell your story to a captive and engaged audience.

“Spanning more than 41 days and broadcasting more than 318 hours of live coverage, Nine will double the prime-time coverage of last season and deliver our biggest ever summer of international cricket.”

Nine’s International Summer of Cricket will showcase Australia against four international teams including South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka as they go head to head across the Commonwealth Bank Test Series, Victoria Bitter ODI Series and the KFC T20 INTL Series.

Tom Malone, Nine’s Director of Sport said: “At Wide World of Sports, we’re privileged to be invited into people’s lounge rooms, kitchens, back decks and bedrooms all summer long. The sounds and pictures of our cricket coverage hold a very special place in Australia’s national identity. No one is more cognisant of that than our commentators, and this summer they’ll be providing a front row seat to history, as the action unfolds on the pitch, live and free and accessible to all Australians on Nine.”

“Whatever way you spin it, summer is cricket and cricket is summer. Our driveways and backyards, our beaches and sports ovals all become battlegrounds. Cricket is the only form of entertainment that resides in our lounge rooms, on our screens and on our radios all summer long,” Brennan said.

The first ball will be bowled in the 2016/17 International Summer of Cricket series on November 3 when Australia meets South Africa in the first match of the Commonwealth Bank Test Series at the WACA in Perth.

NINE’S INTERNATIONAL SUMMER OF CRICKET IN NUMBERS
 318 hours of live and free coverage
 Over 79 hours broadcast in primetime
 41 days of cricket
 Four blockbuster teams

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

For further information:
Nine Publicity
02 9965 2727