IPL owners’ BBL takeover hits roadblock as partial privatisation option emerges
Published - 20 Mar 2026, 03:57 PM
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The Big Bash League (BBL) is likely to follow in the footsteps of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in terms of privatization. ECB’s The Hundred tournament has now turned into the franchise event with some shares county sides keeping.
Now, Cricket Australia is planning to follow the model. Recently, Cricket Australia and the state associations held meetings in Melbourne to discuss the future of the Big Bash League. A final decision on privatization could be made by mid-April.
BBL privatisation plan gains speed as Cricket Australia eyes big change
But the talks are not only about selling all the teams. There is also an option where some teams may take private investment while others can also refuse. This means Cricket Australia can go ahead with its plan even if every state does not agree to sell its BBL club.
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These discussions have been going on for around nine months. The Australian cricket board has now shared detailed plans with the states, including possible revenue from future sales and how that money could be divided.
The states now have about a month to study these proposals and speak to the CA before taking the next step regarding the league’s privatization.
Cricket Australia open to partial team sales in Big Bash League
That next step would be to check the market value of their teams and see how much investors may be willing to pay for a stake. The six state associations, which control the eight BBL teams, are reportedly comfortable with the documents and timeline shared by the board.
The ESPNcricinfo report shared that Victoria and New South Wales, which run two Big Bash League teams each, are unlikely to sell one team and keep the other. They are more likely to either go fully in or fully out, though they could still choose different stake sizes in each team.
There is one more big issue in the league's privatization. The Australian Cricketers Association (ACA), which represents the players, already has a payment agreement with Cricket Australia till 2028. So, if the Big Bash League gets private owners or investors, that current agreement may need to be changed.
Victoria and NSW likely to take all-or-nothing call on BBL stakes
He and the ACA have already held discussions informally, and they have not reached any agreement. Some people are worried about what could happen if Australia follows the same private investment model used in The Hundred, while others feel they can find a way to earn more money.
But all the states, especially New South Wales and CA, agree that the BBL needs more money and support to stay strong and compete with other top T20 leagues around the world.
Lee Germon, the NSW CEO, stated, “We're at the point where we believe that there need to be alternative proposals considered. We may well end up at the first proposal, which is selling all the clubs, but we need to do the due diligence. We want to invest in BBL. We want to lift it. We want to have the best players playing it. Are there alternative ways we can do that without necessarily going straight to selling the clubs?”
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