The rivers of gold are flowing into the Australian game and into the pockets of leading players at an unprecedented level, with Cricket Australia to report record revenue of nearly $300 million.
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In financials lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and to be unveiled at the CA annual meeting in Melbourne this week, it is clear the benefits of last summer's series against England extend much further than the national team regaining the Ashes.
CA will declare revenue from the last financial year of $295.9 million, a 76 per cent rise on the previous year when South Africa and Sri Lanka toured here, and a figure expected to be even higher next time around with the game's most lucrative visitors, India, due in Australia next month.
Australia's leading players, many of of whom now earn more than $1 million a year from their central contracts alone, are among the big winners, having earned bonuses from landmark series wins against England and then South Africa that saw Michael Clarke's Test side return briefly to the top of the world rankings.
CA's financial report to ASIC reveals payments to players and umpires rose from $37.4 million to $54.3 million in the period ending June 30. When Indian Premier League cash and endorsements are taken into account, the likes of Clarke and David Warner are now estimated to be receiving more than $5 million a year.
Australia Cricket's primary income source stems from television rights, and because they make more money from overseas broadcasters depending on which countries they host each summer, to provide a more even financial record CA reports over a four-year period. The past year was the first of the new period that runs until 2017, over which there are ambitions for revenue to skyrocket from $684 million for the 2009-2012 period to upwards of $1 billion.
A goal to "future proof" the game by having more than $70 million in cash reserves by 2017 is also on track, with CA reporting $84.72 million in the bank, up from $67.65 million 12 months before. The results were the first under a new, simplified model in which CA receives all gate and signage revenue from international matches and in exchange guarantees money for the states, "de-risking" their outposts from the potential blows they can incur if, for instance, they host a low-drawing Test nation or have matches affected by rain. The record revenue was driven by high attendance levels – total crowds were more than 1.7 million, including 650,000 who watched one of CA's major investments, the Big Bash League.
A total of $92 million was distributed to the states in the past year. In August CA announced there were more than a million cricketers in Australia, making it the top participation sport in the country. It reported a 39 per cent rise in female participation.
