Scheduling For Dummies
AJ joins us
Andrew Jones has been known to Et Al for twenty-odd years, in which he’s had a storied career in sports administration, including spells as strategy director at Cricket Australia and CEO of Cricket New South Wales. He’s now the principal of a sports consultancy, the Killer Group. We don’t always agree, but I’ve a lot of respect for his sharp mind, his genuine love of the game, and his punchy style of communication - as reflected in this primer, which I cited a few days ago, making the case against private investment in the Big Bash League. Here he amplifies this argument by reference to this summer’s schedule.
“2026-27 Summer of Cricket locked in at the SCG”.
I don’t open marketing emails often, but that one from the SCG Trust was an exception. My summers have been built around the Sydney Test since 1993-94. I missed Brian Lara making 277 in 1992-93. Lesson learned.
Imagine my surprise to learn that next year’s Test, a day game, is scheduled to run from MONDAY TO FRIDAY.
10.30-5.30pm each day.
Whose idea was that?
To put the most lucrative Test of the year, in the biggest city in Australia, exactly coincident with the typical working week.
Sure, many people are on leave from 4-8 January. But plenty won’t be. And plenty will be away, starting that day. It’s the worst piece of sports scheduling since vacating Australia Day.
Wait, did cricket do that too? Last year?
The first principle of sports management – that is, management of the business of sport – is to understand what the business is. It is, at its core, a television show with a live audience. It is monetised via media rights, sponsorship, ticket sales, hospitality and, increasingly, wagering. Each is maximised by maximising the audience. Which, in sport, means maximising the live audience. Which means you need to put the show on when people are available to watch it. Which means when they are not at work! If there were a handbook entitled “Sports Scheduling for Dummies” this would be on page 1.
Page 2 would have “where possible, keep the same date every year”. This principle has been violated in Sydney repeatedly too, with the traditional New Year start date pushed back to the 2, 3 and now 4 January over time. This is unnecessary, and short-sighted. There is a reason the Boxing Day Test is the best-attended Test of the year.
Wait, two reasons. Everybody knows when it is on, so they can plan accordingly.
And just about everybody, other than those in retail, hospitality, tourism and essential services, is not at work. Are we getting the picture?
I have been vocal about the shortsightedness of CA’s proposal to sell the BBL. It suggests to me a lack of understanding of the basics of sports strategy. Private owners have different incentives to CA. They want to make money out of a global T20 business.
Cricket Australia wants (or is supposed to want) to grow the game in Australia, across Test, BBL and all the other formats, men’s and women’s. They need to manage a portfolio of formats, dates and venues. To do that they need to maintain control of the schedule. So it can be optimised for the benefit of fans, hence the sport.
If CA can’t get the little – and obvious – scheduling right, like the dates for the Sydney Test, why would cricket fans think they are getting it right proposing to sell our game?Next thing you know they’ll propose moving the Boxing Day and Sydney Tests to make way for the BBL.
Wait a second, that’s already been proposed!