CSA reports loss as broadcast challenges loom

The board is also predicting another loss in the 2026-27 summer despite hosting the Australia and England men's teams

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has reported a loss of R440.6 million (approx. USD 27 million) for the 2025-26 financial year after a lean summer, which had only three T20Is against West Indies and thanks to a stronger Rand. The local currency has strengthened by approximately 6% to the US dollar in the last 12 months, which has impacted on the value of CSA's distribution from the ICC (listed as R351 million or approx USD 21.52 million) and a net total foreign exchange loss of R43 million (USD 2.64 million).

Despite the significant loss, CSA works on a four-year cycle and with this being the final year, the board reported a cumulative net profit of approximately R492.9 million (USD 30.23 million). Crucially, the organisation is predicting another loss for the 2026-27 summer, which has incoming tours from Australia, Bangladesh and England men's teams and India and Australia's women's teams.

Cricinfo understands that both Australia and England's men's tours would at least break even previously, but they will not make money this time "largely on the back of an even stronger rand exchange rate than experienced in 2026," according to CSA's annual integrated report. At a press conference held after the AGM, CSA CEO Pholetsi Moseki also explained that both Australia and England tours have been impacted by lower broadcast fees. "Unfortunately, the amount of money that we're going to be making is not necessarily where it was a number of years ago," Moseki said. "It's a combination of a lot of factors, but the broadcast side has probably been the major impact on that."

The report called the broadcast environment "the most challenging component of the commercial programme," due to factors at home and abroad. Locally, CSA is faced with a "changing landscape and the strategic uncertainty that has followed the Canal+ acquisition of MultiChoice (the holding company of SuperSport , who are Africa's main sports broadcaster)," while they have also been affected "globally by the current corporate actions involving several broadcasters."

Since Canal+ took over MutliChoice, they have lost 10% of their workforce and have had several other cost-cutting measures put in place which may also affect how much they are willing to pay for live sports rights. The 2026-27 summer is the final year of CSA's current deal with SuperSport and it is "preparing to engage both broadcasters (SuperSport and the public broadcaster SABC) on long-term partnerships, using the promising 2026-27 season and the approach of the World Cup 2027 as a platform."

CSA also secured a last-minute deal with SkySports earlier this week to broadcast both the Australia and England tours to UK audiences but these deals are understood to be worth less money than in previous years. Other costs for CSA include the R297 million (approx USD 18.09 million) on stadium upgrades for the 2027 ODI World Cup, including to floodlights, internet connectivity and for pitch upgrades.

The major expenditure remains the running of the domestic games, which costs CSA almost R536 million (approx USD 32.87 million) and includes the running of 15 provincial teams. This will be increased this season as the number of matches have increased with Division 1 teams now playing 10 first-class matches instead of seven, and a bumper Pro20 competition that includes 16 teams (including a South Africa Emerging side). There was no suggestion at the AGM that the domestic game would be streamlined to save costs in future but Cricinfo understands this remains a major concern among stakeholders and a talking point post the 2027 World Cup.

One more unexpected cost in the previous financial year came when CSA hosted the India's women's team for five unscheduled T20Is in April 2026 as preparation for the women's T20 World Cup. The tour resulted in a loss of R10.3 million (approx USD 630,000). CSA viewed this as "an acceptable trade-off for a short-term Financial Capital cost, in exchange for strengthening CSA's relationship with the BCCI and securing a India men's tour for the 2028 financial year, a tour of considerably greater future financial and reputational value to South African cricket."

The 2027-2031 FTP has not yet been finalised but a workshop to hash out plans was held in Dubai this week. It is understood that South Africa will host India immediately after the 2027 ODI World Cup for a full tour, which has bolstered predictions of profits in the 2027-28 season and re-emphasised the importance of India to the cricketing economy. "Dependence on India, it's a global thing. It's not unique to us as CSA," Moseki said. "We are fortunate that we do have a very good relationship with India and we constantly work hard to maintain that. But having said that it's important that we are really, really focused on diversification of revenue as well. In the last few years, we've seen that we've basically been going hard at getting more sponsorship."

CSA reported growth from eight commercial partners in 2023 to 19 in 2026, while they also continue to earn money from the SA20. Last year, CSA's share of the profit was worth R43 million (approx USD 2.64 million). This was less than the previous year's share of R49.5 million (approx USD 3.04 million) thanks in some part to the exchange rate but it is a number worth keeping an eye on in future editions of the tournament.