You're right about the drivel that commentators go on with when promoting the latest 'reality TV' fad. Being free of that nonsense has its upside. I've gotten used to watching the game with radio commentary so have avoided a lot of that stuff. Problem is being a little out of sync between Radio and TV.
My frustration with Foxtel is having to buy access to a whole bunch of other channels I don't particularly want. I dedicated, cheaper cricket package for summer could be interesting depending on what it had on offer.
Problem with shutting viewers out though is that the premier version of the game becomes invisible to them. A 2 hour higlights package of the days play could do the job for FTA. Not too many people watch every ball of a test anyway. A highlights package could portray the drama and tension if done right, whilst keeping the format alive. Maybe a compromise like that is an answer.
I''ve been following this test series on line and watching the highlights package on YouTube. Not quite the same, but following the online commentary gives me the story of the game.
There's never going to be a perfect solution.
I've got Fox, so it doesn't hurt me at all. I'd also get Fox for the cricket and the footy if I didn't have it. I understand that a lot of people wouldn't, it's not expensive but it's not cheap either.
As a pretty hardcore cricket fan, though, I'm glad that we will probably get a quality package without advertising weaved into the fabric of the game.
Anti-siphoning keeps the Tests on FTA, which is good. I feel like there needs to be some option to just pay a small fee and watch the cricket, like the CA app but better. Particularly with the prevalence of smart TVs that can access the internet, just create an online pass for the content like the NFL has. I think there is evolution needed to find the best answer but, as a fan, I'm not unhappy that Fox has the rights. As I said though I'm coming from a position of already having Foxtel
