Ten Network : Rebel Women’s Big Bash League A Smash Hit On Network Ten

11 December 2017

Rebel Women's Big Bash League: A Smash Hit.

Network Ten's Coverage Draws Record Audiences.

Network Ten's coverage of the 2017-18 Rebel Women's Big Bash League competition has started strongly, with the television audience for the first four matches broadcast over the weekend soaring 24% compared with 2016-17 season average.

The opening weekend reached a total television audience on TEN and WIN Network of 1.86 million people in the capital cities and 950,000 in regional areas.

On Saturday evening, session two of the Sydney Sixers-Melbourne Stars match had 469,000 viewers nationally, a record number for a non-finals Rebel Women's Big Bash League session, and peaked at 629,000. It reached 826,000 people in the capital cities and 437,000 in regional areas.

In the capital cities, the session had 297,000 viewers, up 54% on the 2016-17 season average, and peaked at 371,000.

Yesterday afternoon, session two of the Sydney Thunder-Sydney Sixers match attracted 421,000 viewers nationally - up 43% on the 2016-17 season average - and peaked at 562,000. In the capital cities, session two's audience was up 42%.

Across the four games on the weekend, an average of 313,000 viewers nationally watched the live, free and exclusive coverage on TEN and WIN Network - up 24% from the 2016-17 season average - with a peak national audience of 629,000.

In the capital cities, TEN's coverage dominated its timeslots, ranking #1 among men, people 25 to 54 and under 55s.

The Rebel Women's Big Bash League also ruled social media over the weekend, with #WBBL03 trending at #1 on Twitter nationally on Saturday and Sunday.

Network Ten's coverage was led by TEN Sport's Andy Maher, with expert commentators Roger Oldridge, Mel Jones and Lisa Sthalekar.

Network Ten Executive, Big Bash, David Barham, said: "The big television audiences for the opening weekend of the Rebel Women's Big Bash League is a testament to the hard work, focus and passion of a lot of people at Cricket Australia and Network Ten, who had faith in women's cricket and were willing to back it.

"At Ten, we've always believed that with the right production and promotion, and with consistent television scheduling, the Rebel Women's Big Bash League will become a

successful, standalone support.

"The results over the weekend, both on and off the field, are a great start to what promises to be a sensational summer for women's cricket," he said.

Network Ten's coverage of the Rebel Women's Big Bash League continues on Saturday, 23 December, when the Sydney Sixers and the Hobart Hurricanes meet at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

A total of 12 Rebel Women's Big Bash League will be broadcast on Network Ten over the summer, including the Semi Finals and the Final.

The KFC Big Bash League kicks off next Tuesday, 19 December, when rivals the Sydney Thunder and the Sydney Sixers are pitted against each other at Spotless Stadium.

A bumper schedule will see 43 matches played in 48 days, including six double-headers. All games of the extended season will be broadcast in prime time, live, free and exclusive on TEN or ONE.

The highly-anticipated season will see the biggest names in world cricket line up at the crease, including former England superstar Kevin Pietersen, former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum and livewire Chris Lynn, plus Australian favourites Mitchell Johnson, Brad Hogg, Shane Watson and Brad Hodge.

The best commentary team in the business is back on Network Ten for 2017-18, led by multi-award nominated presenter Roz Kelly with cricket royalty Adam Gilchrist AM, Ricky Ponting AO, Mark Waugh AM and Damien Fleming, plus Mark Howard and Mel Jones.

Australian cricket legend Andrew Symonds, current Australia cricket team coach Darren Lehmann, former New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum and crowd favourite Kevin Pietersen are back for another season as special guest commentators. Joining them for the first time will be English cricket legends, former captain Michael Vaughan and one of the game's great characters Graeme Swann.

For more information, please contact:

Neil Shoebridge	Ruby McHaffie
P: [phone]. M: 0417 511 012.	P: [phone]. M: 0433 514 424.
E:[e-mail]	E:[e-mail]
@Ten_Corporate

Source: OzTAM, 5 City Metro, Regional TAM, Combined Aggregate Markets, Overnight. 2016-17 average excludes Finals and Post-Games. 2017-18 average excludes Post-Games. Reach includes post-games.