Seven secures broadcast rights for Australia's tour of Sri Lanka

The Seven Network has stepped in to secure the rights for Australia's Qantas Tour of Sri Lanka just 12 days before the first Test begins.

Australian cricket fans were at risk of being plunged into a television black hole for the two Tests and two ODIs after no network had acquired the rights.

But Seven, which broadcasts home Tests, women's internationals, and the Big Bash League, will take on the entire tour through their free-to-air stations and on the 7plus app.

"What this summer has shown us is that Australians absolutely love their cricket, and we cannot wait to deliver even more action as Australia takes on Sri Lanka," Seven's head of cricket Joel Starcevic said.

Every men's Test tour has been broadcast back to Australia for the past three decades.

The last Test not shown in Australia was during the Pakistan tour in 1994.

But this will be the first non-Ashes overseas men's Test tour shown on free-to-air TV in Australia since Mark Taylor's team played in South Africa in 1997, when Seven also had the rights.

Foxtel has had a stranglehold on rights for Australia's overseas matches since broadcasting tours of India and Pakistan back in 1998.

The Pay TV network broadcast Australia's most recent Test series in Sri Lanka in 2022.

However, Foxtel has not regularly broadcast Test series from Sri Lanka not involving Australia and therefore do not have a long-running agreement with cricket's governing body in the subcontinent nation.

Foxtel recently agreed to a sale to British-based sports streaming platform DAZN, but that is still to be finalised over the first six months of 2025.

Amazon has won the rights to ICC events in the 2024-27 cycle, including this year's World Test Championship Final, but the streaming giant's Australian arm is yet to dip its toe into bilateral series.

The first Test will get underway in Galle on January 29, with the second match beginning on February 6.

Sri Lanka Cricket also announced a second ODI had been added to the tour schedule earlier this week, with both to be played in Colombo on February 12 and 14.

The two ODIs will form a crucial part of Australia's final preparations for next month's men's ICC Champions Trophy, a tournament Sri Lanka 1failed to qualify for as they are ranked outside the top eight men's 50-over teams.

Qantas Tour of Sri Lanka

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Travis Head (vc), Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster

First Test: January 29-February 2, Galle (3.30pm AEDT)

Second Test: February 6-10, Galle (3.30pm AEDT)

First ODI: February 12, Colombo (3.30pm AEDT)

Second ODI: February 14, Colombo (3.30pm AEDT)