Cricket Australia media release:

New research showing cricket is the most popular TV sport in Australia was welcome but the devil in its detail shows all major Australian sports need to lift their game with women, Cricket Australia (CA) said today.

CA Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland said it was encouraging to see new Roy Morgan research showing 47% of Australians watch cricket on TV.

Roy Morgan figures show that 41% watch AFL football; 33% watch tennis; 25% watch NRL; 18% watch golf; 10% watch Rugby Union and 8% watch A-League.

These respondents, from a sample of about 50,000 Australians interviewed by Roy Morgan Research, said they watched “always” or “occasionally”.

Mr Sutherland said the data coincided with CA’s own research showing that the Australian cricket team is very popular.

That research rated the team and all of its individual players very highly and noted that 83% of respondents regarded them as good role models for children.

“That research, part of our regular measurement of cricket as a brand, combined with our data on public interest in cricket and also combined with new cricket census figures showing record numbers playing formal, organised cricket, tells us that cricket is in good shape,” he said.

“But drilling into the Morgan data shows that cricket, and indeed all sports, need to do more work to win female support.”

The figures showed 36% of women say they watch cricket on TV, 34% watch AFL, 33% watch tennis, 18% watch NRL; 12% watch golf; 6% watch rugby union and 4% watch A-League.

Mr Sutherland said Australian cricket at a national and state cricket association level has identified that better engagement of females - - women and girls - - in all aspects of cricket as a strategic priority.

This includes making the game more accessible for female players, developing Twenty20 cricket with an eye to catching the attention of new female fans, reviewing event presentation at venues, understanding and addressing the specific consumer needs of females, and lobbying media to provide greater coverage to women’s cricket.

Australia also bid aggressively to win the right to defend its title as International Cricket Council Women’s World Cup holder on Australian soil next year. The ICC Women’s World Cup will be staged in NSW and the ACT, with eight teams contesting the title in a series of one-day internationals to be played in March 2009.