Australia's World Cup opens on pay TV

Australian cricket fans will need pay TV to see Australia's first three World Cup matches after Channel 9 confirmed it would not telecast any games until the Super Eight stage. The broadcasting rights mean Australia's group clashes with Scotland, Netherlands and South Africa will not be available on free-to-air television.

Steve Crawley, Channel 9's head of sport, said Fox Sports would be showing the opening games. "The first three games we don't have," Crawley told the Herald Sun. "Then we have got the Super Eights, the semi-finals and final. It's part of the deal with Fox. It's in the contract. It's not a choice thing. Sometimes the contracts are shaped that way. There's not much you can do about that."

Barring any shock losses in the early rounds, Australia should comfortably make it past the group stage. "From Cricket Australia's point of view, if we overcome Scotland and Holland and thereby move to the Super Eights, everybody will have the opportunity of watching those games," a CA spokesman said.

"Fox Sports has supported the domestic cricket game to a large extent with the Ford Ranger Cup which has attracted a lot of viewers. They are established presenters of cricket." Fox will telecast all matches in the tournament live, including those that do not feature Australia.