It's understood to be a six-year deal, worth around $180 million per year, or $1.08 billion over the length of the contract. Foxtel will pay around $100 million, while Seven will pay close to $80 million, contra included.

The landmark decision from Cricket Australia to put a huge chunk of its sport behind a paywall will see limited-overs international matches, both 50 over and Twenty20 forms, taken off free-to-air television for the first time in 40 years.

International limited overs cricket involving the Australian team played locally is on the anti-siphoning list, which dictates the sports free-to-air networks have first rights to bid on it. Foxtel needed a free-to-air partner in order to do a deal, but there is a question regarding 50 over and Twenty20 international matches moving exclusively onto pay TV.

Landmark changes to cricket broadcasting

BBL started behind a paywall on Foxtel, but under the last five-year contract with Network Ten experienced exponential growth in popularity.

Ten chief executive Paul Anderson said, in a statement, the CBS-owned network is disappointed its bid for cricket television rights was rejected.

"Network Ten turned the Big Bash League into the television phenomenon it is today and one of the most popular sports in Australia, a sport that all Australians were able enjoy for free," Mr Anderson said.

"We had planned to extend that innovation to other forms of the game. Network Ten and our BBL team led by David Barham revolutionised the way cricket is broadcast in Australia and attracted new, younger viewers to the game. At the same time, we invested heavily in the Women's Big Bash League, broadcasting matches in prime time for the first time and raising its profile significantly. We are proud of everything we achieved with the BBL and WBBL," he said.


Sources said Cricket Australia will be able to announce the deal is worth at least $1 billion.

It would be a revolution in cricket broadcasting not seen since Kerry Packer's then Nine took rights during the World Series Cricket era of the late 1970s.

Nine recently won the rights to tennis broadcasting after the 2019 Australian Open, previously broadcast by Seven.

A Nine spokesman said the network is immensely proud of its decades long association with cricket and wish Cricket Australia, and its new partners well.

"Cricket will continue to be a part of Nine's schedule into the future with current deals in place covering the next ashes series from England in 2019, the ODI World Cup in the UK in the same year and in 2020 the T20 World Cups to be held in Australia," he said.

"But most of all Nine is excited by our new partnership with Tennis Australia. A partnership that enables us to further evolve our business model into a new future. A partnership built on common values and vision to mutually build the game and Nine's business as we connect with more audiences the way they choose. Our focus remains on the cross platform opportunities in front of us and finding the best ways to continue to create value for our shareholders in to the future."