Which series is bigger: The Ashes or the Border-Gavaskar trophy?

[DeadlyVenom]

As spicy as Boiled broccolli ?

England have let down the whole cricketing world with their performance

 

[uppercut]

England have let down the whole cricketing world with their performance

How lame is that

 

[uppercut]

Ashes has more buzz definitely. This time barmy army fans genuinely believed England will take down Australia. Now they have to take the heat from Aussie fans.

naah absolutely not ... the last 3 BGT series in Aus went all the way till the end and had electric atmosphere, had everyone on their toes quite nothing like it.

 

[Vikram1989]

England have let down the whole cricketing world with their performance

Since 789 BC i guess

 

[jnaveen1980]

IN terms of disappointment Ashes loss trumps it lol These guys are inconsolable. Things i learnt.

1) This is definitely the loss that hurt them the most as they prepared themselves for 4 years.
2) Stuart Broad is wearing a wig

 

[jnaveen1980]

Mcgrath wants the real urn brought to Australia He says he has place to keep that in his house lol

 

[jnaveen1980]

Hayden remembers how many English careers finished since 2000 in Australia lol He says 26 careers finished in Ashes.

 

[gibsyhesperis]

I have to say the hype in England (from fans, pundits and media) around the Ashes in Australia is rarely borne out be the actual results.

Australia have won 16 and drawn 2 of the last 18 Tests v England at home.

This century, England have won 4 Tests down under and lost 26.

 

[jnaveen1980]

I have to say the hype in England (from fans, pundits and media) around the Ashes in Australia is rarely borne out be the actual results.

Australia have won 16 and drawn 2 of the last 18 Tests v England at home.

This century, England have won 4 Tests down under and lost 26.

England supporters were too arrogant this time. Almost everyone. Nobody was grounded. That is why Aussies are mercilessly trolling them. Even Justin Langer on Stuart Broadcast asking broad "Mate you said this is the worst Australian team ever.. what does that make your team? " . There are some Aussies trying to be find positives for England on their behalf. But overall they are enjoying the misery of these over-confident guys.

 

[Vikram1989]

. Even Justin Langer on Stuart Broadcast asking broad "Mate you said this is the worst Australian team ever.. what does that make your team? " .

I was hoping someone asks that question to arrogant broad

 

[jnaveen1980]

Is Ashes the best Test series of the year? Definitely not for England.

 

[RexRex]

This is an interesting perspective from an Aussie fan who lives in England on the importance of the Ashes -

 

[ElRaja]

This is an interesting perspective from an Aussie fan who lives in England on the importance of the Ashes -

so the ashes is still three times more important to an aussie than the BG trophy, which is roughly on par with SA series. pretty much what we all thought.

 

[RexRex]

so the ashes is still three times more important to an aussie than the BG trophy, which is roughly on par with SA series. pretty much what we all thought.

What stood out to me was how much Eng audiences like only the Ashes and pretty much ignore everything else, unlike the Aussie spectators.

 

[ElRaja]

What stood out to me was how much Eng audiences like only the Ashes and pretty much ignore everything else, unlike the Aussie spectators.

yep, this isnt a surprise if youve lived in england. theres a small but solid contingent who enjoy the test summer, so you get grounds pretty much full no matter what the opposition for the home summer, but the vast majoirty of the casual fans only care about the ashes. no one cares about white ball cricket at all, which is probably the biggest surprise to most non england fans.

 

[uppercut]

so the ashes is still three times more important to an aussie than the BG trophy, which is roughly on par with SA series. pretty much what we all thought.

Thats his opinion which he clearly states at the beginning of the video at about 2:20.

Whereas if you look at the hard facts the crowd figures from last years BGT say a very different story.

 

[ElRaja]

Thats his opinion which he clearly states at the beginning of the video at about 2:20.

Whereas if you look at the hard facts the crowd figures from last years BGT say a very different story.

it will always be nothing more than opinions, thats the whole idea of a rivalry, its the consolidated opinion of the supporting public as to who the greatest rivals are. and its not like i posted it, its an indian fan posting it in a thread comparing the ashes and BG trophy so obviously his opinion matters, to one indian fan at least.

 

[uppercut]

it will always be nothing more than opinions, thats the whole idea of a rivalry, its the consolidated opinion of the supporting public as to who the greatest rivals are. and its not like i posted it, its an indian fan posting it in a thread comparing the ashes and BG trophy so obviously his opinion matters, to one indian fan at least.

Crowd numbers are not mine of anyone's opinion, nor is the level of media coverage, the hype, the box office success of the last 3 BGT tours down under.

 

[BouncerGuy]

BGT has definitely grown bigger than it wasa few years ago.. But Ashes is a historical series... That alone makes it 1 step ahead of bgt.

 

[jnaveen1980]

BGT has definitely grown bigger than it wasa few years ago.. But Ashes is a historical series... That alone makes it 1 step ahead of bgt.

Outside talks about Ashes is unbeatable. Onfield banter has significantly reduced because guys like Cummins, Josh, Starc, Boland are extremely nice guys. Also culturally similar. Many Aussies live in England and vice versa. Botham's grand daughter lives in Melbourne with her husband. THey understand the banter of each other. BGT rivalry is a purely onfield rivalry. Many banters, slurs. It is a pure skill based rivalry. Especially in the 2014 series, after that total annihilation of England in 2013 series by Mitchell Johnson.

THat is when Virat Kohli vs Mitchell johnson fight started. They called him spoilt brat. Kohli was calm until Johnson tried to throw down the stumps at striker end on his follow through got Kohli flush on his back. Tension started rising. It is not the kind of rivalry you see with Ashes. It is 90% skill based rivalry. It is a different kind of rivalry.

India’s Virat Kohli attacks Australia’s Mitchell Johnson after tense third day

The India batsman claimed he had ‘no reason to respect’ the bowler after third day that featured heavy verbal sparring and a Johnson run-out attempt that struck Kohli in the back

www.theguardian.com

 

[ElRaja]

Crowd numbers are not mine of anyone's opinion, nor is the level of media coverage, the hype, the box office success of the last 3 BGT tours down under.

i dont know abt aus but in the uk its impossible to get tickets to india games, not because anyone here cares about india in particular, but because the indian diaspora hoover up every ticket. id suspect the BGT tickets have a huge indian contingent buying up tickets too rather than local aussie supporters whod rather watch india than england.

 

[Major]

The Ashes has an immense cultural importance (to Australia) to it that no other series can match.

In reality test series against South Africa have been better in my lifetime.

But saar, what about indian seriess saarree

 

[Babeikh]

Ashes are only competitive in England. BGT seemingly is competitive in both countries so if you are talking purely from a cricketing display POV then BGT is probably better but obviously there is no comparison at all (not even close) in terms of history, culture, tradition and sentiment.

 

[hassan918]

For Indians: BGT > Ashes
For others: Ashes > BGT

 

[Bhaijaan]

Hayden remembers how many English careers finished since 2000 in Australia lol He says 26 careers finished in Ashes.

If Joe Root has any shame he would retire after the Ashes. He’s lost like 16 tests in Australia without a win. No great batsman ever had this kind of a record. What an absolute disgrace. He’s not even better than Dravid or Sangakkara, it’s a disgrace some English folks try to compare him to the final boss the cricket god Sachin Tendulkar.

@DeadlyVenom

 

[jnaveen1980]

If Joe Root has any shame he would retire after the Ashes. He’s lost like 16 tests in Australia without a win. No great batsman ever had this kind of a record. What an absolute disgrace. He’s not even better than Dravid or Sangakkara, it’s a disgrace some English folks try to compare him to the final boss the cricket god Sachin Tendulkar.

@DeadlyVenom

Thi is an opportunity for ENgland to show that they care things other than Ashes. Because WTC points are still at stake in the last 2 tests. THey should still try to win it.

 

[RexRex]

If Joe Root has any shame he would retire after the Ashes. He’s lost like 16 tests in Australia without a win. No great batsman ever had this kind of a record. What an absolute disgrace. He’s not even better than Dravid or Sangakkara, it’s a disgrace some English folks try to compare him to the final boss the cricket god Sachin Tendulkar.

@DeadlyVenom

I feel sorry for Saint Joe.

Root should be sent back to Yorkshire immediately and made to watch 3 hours of Sachin footage on youtube daily until the New Year. It's the only way this softie will learn.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

I feel sorry for Saint Joe.

Root should be sent back to Yorkshire immediately and made to watch 3 hours of Sachin footage on youtube daily until the New Year. It's the only way this softie will learn.

What will he learn?

 

[RexRex]

What will he learn?

He will learn how to navigate the ferocious Aussie slingers and smack them all round the park.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

yep, this isnt a surprise if youve lived in england. theres a small but solid contingent who enjoy the test summer, so you get grounds pretty much full no matter what the opposition for the home summer, but the vast majoirty of the casual fans only care about the ashes. no one cares about white ball cricket at all, which is probably the biggest surprise to most non england fans.

Not accurate. When Australia played a random bilateral white ball series last year, the grounds were all packed.

 

[ElRaja]

Not accurate. When Australia played a random bilateral white ball series last year, the grounds were all packed.

filling ground in england has no correlation to the relevance of the cricket, people will go for a day out to watch anything, thats why even during eng zim test there was a crowd. even when england won the odi world cup, it barely registered in any way on the national psyche, not even 1% of the impact of the 2005 ashes, which was pbly the last time i saw everyone in england talking about cricket. no one cares about white ball cricket in england.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

filling ground in england has no correlation to the relevance of the cricket, people will go for a day out to watch anything, thats why even during eng zim test there was a crowd. even when england won the odi world cup, it barely registered in any way on the national psyche, not even 1% of the impact of the 2005 ashes, which was pbly the last time i saw everyone in england talking about cricket. no one cares about white ball cricket in england.

OK that's fair enough. But that's not the case elsewhere. World Cups are important everywhere else in the cricketing world .

 

[ElRaja]

OK that's fair enough. But that's not the case elsewhere. World Cups are important everywhere else in the cricketing world .

yeah, i didnt say everywhere else, i was only talking about england.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

yeah, i didnt say everywhere else, i was only talking about england.

What I meant is it will have to change and change soon, even in England. The future is all white ball and Graeme Smith was even talking about club World cups in the future etc.(Post 2027)

 

[ElRaja]

What I meant is it will have to change and change soon, even in England. The future is all white ball and Graeme Smith was even talking about club World cups in the future etc.(Post 2027)

i dont see this happening easily, whilst there is a shift in playing culture with a lot of youngster wanting to excel at white ball cricket because t20 leagues are lucrative, the sports core following will always be red ball in england. going to a test at Lords or the Oval is a summer highlight for many, including me, summer sunshine, knowledgable fans, nice food, and the sound of leather on willow as you chat about cricket and life with friends. this is the cultural backdrop built on 100+ years of history, and the world moving to white ball importance in the 90s did little to shift the culture.

the core fan doesnt want to go to watch every ball, its an interplay of culture life and history that plays out over a few days, a few times a summer. i may be euligising it in a dramatic way, but as the author CLR James said "What do they know of cricket who only cricket know?", test cricket is a reflection of life, the ebbs and flows, the context, the battles within battles, and the breathing room to dip in and out of the game. this is an unpopular opinion but T20 games are sooo formulaic and boring, outside of the context of international trophies or record breaking knocks, you barely remember anything in a blur of cricket.

some shift may occur, but the core disconnect between the ECB and english cricket as a whole is that they are trying to impose the change from the top down, whereas the average fan resists it, because it is diametrically opposed to the culture of the core fan base. i may be wrong, but if i am, i dont think ill have enough interest left in the sport to be aware of it.

 

[uppercut]

i dont know abt aus but in the uk its impossible to get tickets to india games, not because anyone here cares about india in particular, but because the indian diaspora hoover up every ticket. id suspect the BGT tickets have a huge indian contingent buying up tickets too rather than local aussie supporters whod rather watch india than england.

Same is the case for the English contingent in Aus yet the numbers between the 2 series are comparable. Also its not like the majority of the crowd in the last BGT were Indian.

 

[hassan918]

Same is the case for the English contingent in Aus yet the numbers between the 2 series are comparable. Also its not like the majority of the crowd in the last BGT were Indian.

For India, Cricket is the number one sport but it is not for England and Australia. This is why we see large Indian crowds for every match they play.

 

[straighttalk]

I don't think either Indians or Pakistans can definitively say what is bigger.

The only ones who can judge are the Aussies as they are the participants in both.

Based on recent comments, they seem to be arguing that it's as big as the Ashes, then so be it.

As a fan I have interest in both of them

I think important wise it's for Aussies to determine , heritage wise it's Ashes for sure but cricket quality wise ...it's India and Australia and to India credit it's mostly down under ....although now with our abysmal home test form...it will be interesting in Indian soil too.

 

[Obaidd]

I’d watch a random t20 match over this ashes. I don’t care about a test match that ends in 2 days.

 

[jnaveen1980]

On field drama was mhe. Pakistan vs Afghanistan rivalry looks much better.

 

[Obaidd]

I’d lean towards BGT for exciting and competitive cricket over this sham ashes series.

 

[Pakhs]

Fan rivalry is higher for Ashes ofcourse. But player rivalry is slightly more in BGT.

What is players rivalry? Players are through professionals at that level and wants to perform against all teams and occasions. I think you might be talking about one or two players specifically?

 

[Pakhs]

Yet another one sided test in australia. England and their supporters deserved this Humiliation.

Daily reminder THE BGT > The Ashes

:k

Australia been winning in Australia against England forever and nothing that has happened in this series that hasn't happened in the past. Ashes is not going to be devalued or played any less as both England and Australia know how to protect their No. 1 product.

And Yes in your and some Indians fans BGT matters more, why would it not? Such a big nation with only one sport they need some validation for it. They have to have some series that they need to care about and win. India as a cricket nation needs more series, more competitive cricket, more rivalries, etc. India cant sustain the obsession toward cricket by only playing against countries where cricket is a third and fourth favoured sport, or they have other series they priories more. In the current environment for a cricket nation like India only 50 over WC win satisfies the obsession and the fanatical support the fans give to the players but that only happens once in 4 years.

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

If you ask me, both have lost shine. India may lose 0-5 too if they play there now.

Ashes at least has a legacy that goes back to 19th century. BGT is pretty new relatively.

When everyone knows the kind of answers you will give, why put an 'if' to 'you ask me' when no one will be asking you, defo no rational crick fan will disinvest their time...

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

Now that the ashes has been decided and Eng finally got on the score board, first time in 15 odd years.....maybe Sydney test will be more competitive.

Coming back to the original question - i have given my input on this via post#522 and #560....

Giving a different perspective now.
Given how sometimes it feels like a default - whenever my team India wins, there's the usual entry into the Saazish Stakes saying 'IPL contracts' and freely bandied upon on these pages .....

to make it clearer -Implying India's opposition did not try their hardest - as they were angling for IPL contracts...

So If IPL contracts were the zenith of ones cricketing existence and to achieve the same - people deliberately underperform in matches vs India :-

Why dont Aussie and Eng players just say BGT > Ashes or Sachin-Jimmy trophy > Ashes.....or BGT is the greatest test series they were part of? or AShes is NOT the greatest series they were part of? Or winning the ashes pales in comparison to doing well in the IPL?

#HaiHimmat?!

 

[Hitman]

Now that the ashes has been decided and Eng finally got on the score board, first time in 15 odd years.....maybe Sydney test will be more competitive.

Coming back to the original question - i have given my input on this via post#522 and #560....

Giving a different perspective now.
Given how sometimes it feels like a default - whenever my team India wins, there's the usual entry into the Saazish Stakes saying 'IPL contracts' and freely bandied upon on these pages .....

to make it clearer -Implying India's opposition did not try their hardest - as they were angling for IPL contracts...

So If IPL contracts were the zenith of ones cricketing existence and to achieve the same - people deliberately underperform in matches vs India :-

Why dont Aussie and Eng players just say BGT > Ashes or Sachin-Jimmy trophy > Ashes.....or BGT is the greatest test series they were part of? or AShes is NOT the greatest series they were part of? Or winning the ashes pales in comparison to doing well in the IPL?

#HaiHimmat?!

Please don't take away their liberty of applying balm on their wounds.

 

[Devadwal]

After 3rd test not much intrest left in Ashes because series is already over, no hype at all

 

[BouncerGuy]

STAY ON TOPIC

 

[Rajdeep]

The below 5 min clip is better and more entertaining than anything this Ashes tour has provided.

 

[Babeikh]

In terms of history, culture, sentiment there is no comparison - Ashes is a billion times bigger.

In terms of what it means to the fans both England and Australia fans would rather win the Ashes than any other series including probably a World Cup.

In terms of competition and quality of cricket, England do not really compete with Aus in Aus whereas India do. But in countries where there is a culture of supporting a team - e.g. in England there is a great culture of supporting your football team which is generally embedded in the community in some way, how good you are or how bad you are doesn't really matter. It's part of it but the culture continues even if you have a bad team.

In terms of viewing figures the population of India ensures Ind v Aus viewing numbers will be higher globally. I am guessing as a result of this advertising, sponsorship revenue etc is probably higher in the Ind v Aus series.

So basically from a cricketing / sporting point of view, the Ashes is bigger. From a business / corporate / advertising point of view, India vs Aus is probably bigger.

 

[topspin]

There's no doubt that the Indian team is far superior to England in Australian conditions, however I can't pick Australia vs India for the following reasons:

1. I can't stand most Desi commentators in general but Indians are the worst. Their thick accent isn't the most soothing for one to listen to and there is far too much patriotic bias. Harsha Bhogle was one of the most respected voices of cricket and in my view, the most impartial Indian commentator and look how the BCCI ditched him. When India are on the receiving end of a beating, I cannot count the number of times I've listened to the likes of Sunil Gavaskar and Sanjay Manjrekar live on air and thought: have these guys lost their voice?. Indians in general are come across as emotionally insecure* and lag behind their Western counterparts when it comes to banter and social awareness, so listening to them commentary makes the experience far worse.

2. I don't want to watch a game where a game is played in Australia but the crowd is swarmed with mostly opposition fans. Large numbers of Indian fans sign up as “Australian members,” which means the home side loses the atmosphere that should come with home advantage. For me, part of the appeal of watching cricket in Australia is the distinct Aussie home crowd energy and that often gets diluted in this fixture.

 

[Mas-LFC]

Ashes pre 2010 was nice. Best ashes for me was 2005.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Ashes pre 2010 was nice. Best ashes for me was 2005.

That is a hype England creates lol Atleast 2 of the tests in that series was boring. Only reason it got interesting because of that 2 run win and that draw in third test. 4th one relatively easy win although won only 3 wickets. Stupid shots by Geraint jones made the match interesting. Otherwise win. Basically just 2 tests theat were interesting. One win by England by runs. Other one Australia drew. 2023 was decent one.

 

[Hitman]

That is a hype England creates lol Atleast 2 of the tests in that series was boring. Only reason it got interesting because of that 2 run win and that draw in third test. 4th one relatively easy win although won only 3 wickets. Stupid shots by Geraint jones made the match interesting. Otherwise win. Basically just 2 tests theat were interesting. One win by England by runs. Other one Australia drew. 2023 was decent one.

No Glenn McGrath, the biggest factor. McWarne alone was the biggest driving force of Aussie domination from the 99' WC' till the 07' WC.​

 

[sweep_shot]

Ashes wipes the floor with BGT. No contest.

BGT temporarily became big 5-6 years ago but I expect India to lose badly moving forward.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Ashes is always 1 step ahead of BGT based on its liking among those nations.... BGT was made famous in recent times, before that, no one was interested.

 

[Devadwal]

Ashes is always 1 step ahead of BGT based on its liking among those nations.... BGT was made famous in recent times, before that, no one was interested.

Past won't matter for the current and future . Currently BGT>>>>> Ashes. Fact.

 

[sweep_shot]

Ashes is always 1 step ahead of BGT based on its liking among those nations.... BGT was made famous in recent times, before that, no one was interested.

Correct.

Ashes series started back in 1882-1883. That was the first ever Ashes. It has 140+ years of legacy.

BGT is fairly new. Also, I expect BGT to lose steam now because India have declined in Test format massively.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Ashes is always 1 step ahead of BGT based on its liking among those nations.... BGT was made famous in recent times, before that, no one was interested.

REcent times? Since 2000 this has been a highly competitive series. This is the performance of different teams against Australia since 2000. This is a pure cricketing rivalry. And clashes between superstars. LOt of onfield battles. IT is not just trash talking between two teams. BOth teams walked the talk. This is a different kind of rivalry. Aussies love it when someone competes well in Australia. They overwhelmingly appreciate anyone who does well there.

 

[Ab Fan]

Seriously downright stupid cricket being hyped as something to wait for 4 years lol.

 

[Devadwal]

Most overhyped, overrated series end and it was one sided contest.

BGT>>>>>>>>>>> Overhyped tinny Ashes

 

[hassan918]

Most overhyped, overrated series end and it was one sided contest.

BGT>>>>>>>>>>> Overhyped tinny Ashes

England should've played Bethell in all the matches and we could have a lot tighter contest.

 

[nish_mate]

Ashes for history and pedigree and will always have an upper hand.

It's two nations indulging in cricketing sport warfare across generations and handed down from one generation to another. It's how the English cricketers are rated and Ozzies to a slightly lesser degree. Nothing comes above it in test cricket for these two nations than being an Ashes winning player.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Mark butcher on widened is tearing England apart for thinking only Ashes is important. They spend 4 years to prepare for Aussie tour. His question is if you cant do against other teams how are you going to do against Australia. That is why Aussies will always be ahead of England. They take every series seriously

 

[Azaad]

Bigger? Ashes...even if Eng forever gets thrashed here
Much more competive? Obviously, Border-Gavaskar trophy

 

[BouncerGuy]

Australia’s 4-1 victory in the NRMA Insurance Ashes captivated the nation with record viewing audiences, attendances and digital engagement across the country.

859,580 people attended Ashes Tests with an average crowd of 47,754 over 18 days of cricket

An interim daily average audience of 1.763m across the Ashes series, up 20% YoY and the highest-rating Test series in the Foxtel and Seven simulcast broadcast era

3.8m Australians visited cricket.com.au and the Cricket Australia Live app amid record levels of digital engagement across the Ashes series

Attendance

The series concluded before an all-time record SCG total attendance of 211,032 as Australia won the fifth Test by five wickets on Day 5 in front of 25,847 fans.

A total of 859,580 people attended – the third highest for any Test series in Australia. The average crowd of 47,754 over the 18 days of play was the highest for any series in Australia, exceeding the 41,894 for last season’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series.

Highlights included:

Perth: A record total attendance for a Perth Stadium Test of 101,514 set in two days, which included the largest single day Test match crowd in Perth of 51,531 on Day 1

Brisbane: The second largest total attendance for a Gabba Test of 137,152

Adelaide: A record total attendance for a Test Match at Adelaide of 223,638 and the largest single day Test match crowd in Adelaide of 56,298 on Day 1

Melbourne: A record crowd of 94,199 for any cricket match played in Australia exceeding the 93,013 for the 2015 ODI World Cup final. This was part of the record single total day attendance for cricket in Australia of 162,408 on Boxing Day including 25,589 for the Stars v Sixers and 42,620 for the Scorchers v Hurricanes.

Sydney: A record total SCG attendance of 211,032

Viewership

Cricket fans were glued to their screens across Foxtel, Kayo Sports, Seven and 7plus Sport platforms throughout the NRMA Insurance Ashes series, with an interim daily average audience of 1.763m tuning in across the five Tests. This interim daily average audience was the highest in the Foxtel and Seven era, finishing 20% up on the record-breaking Border Gavaskar Trophy series in 2024-25 and up 23% on the 2021-22 Ashes series.

Fifty of the 51 sessions of play held an average audience over one million viewers, including 11 sessions that averaged over two million viewers – a record for a Test series in the Foxtel and Seven era and eight more than the 2021-22 Ashes series.

The NRMA Insurance Pink Test held an interim average audience of 1.68m across the five days, up 14% on the thrilling five-day 2021-22 SCG Ashes Test, with session three on day three averaging two million viewers to be the most-watched session of the Test.

Further broadcast highlights included:

An average audience of 2.186m across the Boxing Day Test, the highest-rating Test match in the Foxtel and Seven broadcast era and up 17% YoY

An average audience of 2.468m for the third session on day one of the Boxing Day Test, the highest session audience for the series and second-highest ever in the Foxtel and Seven broadcast era

51% YoY growth for the West Test, including an average audience of 2.23m tuning in for Travis Head’s match-winning century

20% YoY growth for the Gabba pink-ball Test, the highest-rating pink-ball Test in the Foxtel and Seven broadcast era, which included three sessions of play averaging over 2m viewers

The captivating five-day Adelaide Test was up 53% on the day Gabba Test in 2024-25 and held an average audience of 1.62m people, including an average audience of 2.13m as Australia retained the Ashes during session two of day five
Digital Engagement

Cricket Australia's digital channels saw record levels of engagement, with 3.8 million people from within Australia visiting cricket.com.au and the Cricket Australia Live app across the Ashes. Those users contributed 62.7 million sessions, up 19% on the same period last season which included the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

Digital engagement peaked in the series finale with three of the six biggest days ever for visits to cricket.com.au and the CA Live app occurring during the NRMA Insurance Pink Test.

The video offering on Cricket Australia's digital platforms included highlights, exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes content led by the new 'Extra Cover' series which provided fans a unique perspective on the blockbuster series. Video views from Australian users on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app increased 38% on the same period last season.

The global footprint of Cricket Australia's digital platforms was highlighted by 1.89 million new followers and a staggering 1.63 billion video views across all platforms.

Strategic collaboration with Tik Tok Australia, including the introduction of an Ashes Search Hub on-platform, has seen significant growth amongst a target market of young Australian fans, with a 65% uplift in follower growth and a 96% increase on video views compared with the same period in 2024-25.

Cricket Australia also worked with oOh!media, Initiative and Special Group to deliver a first-of-its-kind media takeover.

A total of 4,557 digital Out of Home sites in office buildings and shopping centers across the country were turned into live broadcast sites displaying the first over of all five Test Matches in the NRMA Insurance Ashes Series.

Each livestream ran for 17 minutes, which comprised a two minute countdown and 15 minutes of live match footage, a cumulative total of 85 minutes of screentime for the campaign.

The activation was an Australian-first, with no other sport or event having a national livestream takeover in shopping centers and resulted in a cumulative reach of over 1.18 million Australians.
Todd Greenberg, CA CEO said:

“We are all enormously proud of the efforts of the Australian team in retaining the Ashes with a dominant display.

“This yet again underlined the strength of our high-performance program including our coaches, selection panel and support staff.

“The enormous crowds and audiences for the series were beyond even our most optimistic forecasts, and we’re delighted that so many Australians enjoyed the action in brilliant stadiums, on the couch or at the beach.

“This was the culmination of the fantastic performances of our players, the world class coverage provided by all our broadcast partners and the efforts of everyone at CA who continue to grow cricket audiences and participation.

“Cricket has truly been everywhere this summer, with the BBL also drawing huge audiences and the women’s multiformat series against India still to come, emphasising our place as Australia national sport.”