Australia’s passion for our summer sport has waned. The sport that has been dubbed the ‘gentleman’s game’, faces similar issues to our ‘sport of kings’—the lack of next-gen engagement. So what does the future hold for a sport that is so entrenched in our country’s history?
For Australians, cricket has always been in our blood, being played in our settler’s camps, through world wars all the way to the fireworks we now see exploding over a Big Bash Game. It’s a sport that has managed to follow each generation through their lifetime, but as we warm up into summer Test Cricket is bracing itself for dwindling attention and engagement from young fans.
It’s a simple formula: engagement + sporting fans = game-day attendance, but it’s a formula that test cricket still hasn’t been able to nail. Although there may be a measly presence on next-gen media magnate TikTok, Cricket Australia does have an absolutely booming Instagram, but eyes across socials don’t always equal eyes on gameday, which we have seen frequently. BBL attendances are at an all-time low, and attendance for Australia games has also decreased.
Similar to racing, cricket’s largest enemy is its accessibility to viewers. All of our features are available on free-to-air television, but our regular programming is hidden behind a paywall, limiting almost half of Australia’s viewing opportunities. For an industry whose biggest money driver is broadcast, it is ironic that access is so limited.
The craving for that accessibility comes from a young age, though. Gone are the days when kids would play cricket as part of their school sporting curriculum and finish off the school year plastered in front of the TV, praying that the Aussies would take home the Test, and once the Aussies had got it done, heading back out to the street to try and replicate the match with your mates.
Having to share the summer has arguably been cricket’s toughest test to date, with Aussies turning their attention to tennis if they aren’t already obsessed with our US NFL and NBA leagues. With such heavy sporting competition, Cricket is no longer in a position to spread out a dozen games across the summer and tell themselves that it’s a job well done.
One thing that cricket has done well is its integration of the female division. Whilst many sports see a lag, the girls are arguably more engaging to next-gen audiences and have placed their division to sit perfectly alongside their male counterparts. The majority of the girls’ success derives from how the team interacts with their audience, with players like Ellyse Perry, Meg Lanning, and Alyssa Healy always willing to engage with the boys and girls who idolise them, which is key to getting the young eyes hooked on the game.
To secure its legacy and foster a new generation of passionate fans, Cricket must continue to evolve and adapt to modern viewing habits and re-engage the hearts of next-gen Australians, ensuring that our great game remains a vital part of our identity moving forward.
