Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 breaks viewership records
Australia’s dominant 3-1 win over India in 2024-25 Granica-Gavaskar Trophy it didn’t just thrill cricket fans — it also set new TV ratings records. According to Cricket Australia (CA), the five-match Test series attracted the largest television audience for a Test series since Seven and Fox Sports began broadcasting in 2018.
Unprecedented TV and digital engagement
CA reported that more than two million viewers watched at least eight series in Australia. In addition, more than 40 sessions have attracted audiences of a million or more. Indian viewers also made a big impact, with JioStar reporting a huge increase in viewership compared to the last time Australia hosted the Border-Gavaskar series.
CA’s digital platforms also saw an increase in engagement. As of Nov. 22, the governing body’s social media channels have garnered more than two billion video views and 168 million engagements — an increase of 205% year-over-year, or 150%. Cricket Australia (CA) gained an impressive two million new followers on its digital channels during the series, marking a huge increase in online engagement.
Nick Hockley, CEO of CA, shared his delight at how successful the series was. “We knew this would be an outstanding series, but the size of the crowd, audience and digital engagement across all CA channels exceeded our highest expectations,” he said.
The ICC publishes performance ratings
The series was not only a hit on the screens. Fans flocked to the stadiums in large numbers, with a total of 837,879 people in five stadiums. This made it the fourth most attended Test series in Australian history and the most attended non-Ashes series.
After the series, the ICC released their ratings for all five venues used in the Tests. Optus Stadium in Perth, the Oval in Adelaide, the Gabba in Brisbane and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) were rated “Very Good” for providing excellent playing conditions.
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The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), however, fell short. It received a “Satisfactory” rating due to broad criticism of the terrain. Players and commentators have expressed concern at how quickly the surface has deteriorated, making it difficult for batsmen and falling below expected standards for Test matches.
The incredible success of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has reignited talks of changing the structure of Test cricket. Reports indicate that Australia, India and England are discussing a two-tier Test format ICC chair Jay Shah. The idea, which was first proposed in 2016, would have more regular matches between the top nations to maintain a high level of competition.
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