Live streaming initiative provides complete coverage for WBBL

Cricket Australia has said it will live stream all 47 non-television matches of the 2016-17 Women’s Big Bash League for free to fans in the country, providing complete coverage of the second season of the Twenty20 franchise competition.

The WBBL matches live streamed by the governing body will be free to watch on cricket.com.au, the Cricket Australia Live App, and – in a first for Australian women’s sport – also via the WBBL page on social media platform Facebook.

The announcement comes after commercial broadcaster Ten in June opted to enhance its coverage of the WBBL under a new deal for its second season.

Season two of the WBBL will run from December 10 to January 28, 2017. Twelve matches will be broadcast live on television, up from 10 last campaign. Ten previously elected to step up its coverage of the inaugural WBBL midway through its 2015-16 season.

Cricket Australia general manager of media, communications and marketing, Ben Amarfio, said: “The WBBL live streaming represents a considerable investment into the competition and demonstrates how serious Cricket Australia is about attracting more girls and women to our great game.”