Cricket Australia trying to draw T20 fans to Tests

A growing number of people sated by the Twenty20 entree have compelled Cricket Australia to go back to work on the main course. Disappointing levels of spectator "graduation" from T20 to international cricket were a major reason for CA's decision to significantly cut prices for Test and limited-overs matches ahead of the next summer.

A review of ticket pricing and availability was undertaken by CA's commercial department after a series of disappointing international crowds at various points of the past two summers, a trend in direct contrast to the burgeoning attendances for the Big Bash League.

Ever since the BBL was ushered into existence at the Australian Cricket Conference in 2010, CA and its chief executive James Sutherland have maintained that the tournament was designed to bring new fans to the game who would ultimately take on a love for Tests and ODIs.

However, a call to cut prices significantly - each state will offer general admission tickets at a mere $30 for adults while also scaling back the cost of higher grade reserve seats - has been made out of concern that the BBL's growth has not caused the sort of "trickle-up" effect CA had hoped for.

This is largely because while BBL tickets have been kept affordable - general admission tickets around $20 for adults - despite their popularity, international pricing has reflected an era before the emergence of the T20 competition. This has resulted in vast swathes of empty seats at matches where spectators could be hard pressed to find anything for under $50. Sutherland said the BBL's success had helped encourage a rethink.

"Clearly the reason why we're breaking records in terms of aggregate attendance is off the back of BBL growth in attendance," Sutherland said when announcing the price changes. "More people attended the BBL last year than attended the World Cup. Over a million people came through the gates to attend BBL cricket.

"International cricket is still really strongly supported. And part of our strategy has been for us to bring new people to the game, through BBL cricket and at the same time graduate their interest into international cricket. And part of our pricing review and our research has been with that in mind, to continue to graduate that interest … into the premium form, being international cricket.

"I think we've learned a lot from the BBL and I think we've taken some of the best parts of that and incorporated that into the review. But it's also a lot about positioning and ensuring that international cricket is the premium format and we continue to bring the best possible teams into the country to play the game, play international cricket over those three formats."

Since selling the BBL to free-to-air television where it has been a major success for Network Ten, CA has faced a balancing act between its two broadcasters. Nine has been synonymous with the game in Australia for nearly 40 years, and the need to build a more compelling international television spectacle has also played a part - it is felt that empty grounds discourage viewers from tuning in.

"Certainly our focus is to get as many people into our grounds as possible - we make no bones about the fact that our desired state is full grounds," Sutherland said. "We face challenges from time to time, certainly with Test cricket to get people into grounds when people have work commitments and kids are still at school but there's lots of different ways in which we are trying to change that.

"Obviously day-night Test cricket is one of the things but also this pricing strategy is taking a lot of those things into account as well. The backdrop for television is always something that looks better. From our perspective the whole thing is greater fan engagement."

Another factor in the pricing changes is the unknown about how much more the BBL can continue to grow. Recent downturns in T20 competitions in England and India's IPL have suggested that the more youthful Australian tournament cannot be expected to keep building at its current rate.

"We don't see ourselves as a competitor with IPL. We've been very, very focussed with BBL as something which is tailored to the Australian market," Sutherland said. "Coming off the trajectory we've had, it's going to be always challenging to maintain that growth. To some extent it will be cyclical.

"But at the same time we lift our sights high in terms of our aspirations with BBL and see no reason why we can't continue. We'll continue to develop our event presentation to ensure those who pay good money to come and watch the cricket are entertained, not just when the cricket is being played but in other aspects of what's offered at venues."