Cricket Australia posts A$81.8m surplus but forecasts two years of losses

Cricket Australia reported a net surplus of A$81.8 million for 2025-26 and record revenue of A$601.1 million, according to Associated Press reporting on Wednesday's financial announcement. The result returned the governing body to profit, although it expects to record losses in each of the next two financial years.

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The home men's Ashes series and broadcast income linked to India's limited-overs visit helped drive the result. AP reported that Cricket Australia had lost A$11.3 million in 2024-25. The governing body credited its latest performance to commercial income, audiences and the international programme.

The Guardian reported that two-day Ashes Tests in Perth and Melbourne reduced revenue by approximately A$20 million, according to chief executive Todd Greenberg.

Despite those two significantly shortened matches, the result exceeded budget by A$2.9 million, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Greenberg said stronger performance in other income categories helped compensate for the missing revenue. The Herald also reported that the Ashes drew a daily average television audience of 1.76 million, the highest for a Test series during the Fox Sports and Seven broadcasting partnership.

The financial announcement coincided with a leadership change. David Boon took over as interim chair after Mike Baird's departure, with a search continuing for a permanent appointment. According to the Herald, Boon intends to continue pursuing private investment in Big Bash League clubs despite opposition from Cricket NSW. Cricket Victoria is seeking to sell the Melbourne Renegades, while Baird used his farewell address to argue that private partners could support the competition's longer-term future.

The profit comes before an expected downturn rather than a forecast of uninterrupted growth. AP reported that Cricket Australia anticipates deficits in 2026-27 and 2027-28 because the international calendar will bring lower media-rights and match revenue. The recent Ashes attracted 859,580 spectators across 18 days, averaging 47,754 a day. Those attendance figures formed part of a record financial year that the governing body's own projections do not expect to repeat immediately.