The new season of the Big Bash League (BBL) has kicked off with a resounding success, drawing in nearly two million viewers for the Seven Network's coverage.

The opening match between the Brisbane Heat and the Melbourne Stars at the Gabba on 7 December 2023 attracted an average of 504,000 viewers nationally, ranking #1 in its timeslot across all demographics.

The strong viewership propelled Seven Network to the top of the ratings for the night, securing a 41.1% national commercial audience share. The audience for the BBL|13 opener marked a 4% increase from the 2022-23 season's inaugural match, indicating a growing interest in the cricket league.

Lewis Martin, Managing Director Seven Melbourne and Head of Network Sport, expressed his delight at the impressive viewership numbers.

"The Big Bash started with a bang last night and we're rapt that almost two million Australians tuned into Seven's live and free coverage from the Gabba, led by cricket's #1 commentary team," he said.

Martin also highlighted the enduring popularity of cricket as a summer sport in Australia. "Seven's unbeatable live and free coverage of the Heat v Stars match in front of a huge crowd at the Gabba reminds us of just how much we love cricket, and why it remains Australia's favourite summer sport," he added.

The BBL|13 season includes five games slated over six consecutive nights before the national Test team faces Pakistan in the West Test. The season will be broadcast across 34 prime-time nights, including all four finals, by Seven Network.

The home and away fixture concludes on Wednesday, 17 January with a match at Sydney Showgrounds Stadium between the Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Renegades. The four-match finals series begins on Friday, 19 January, with the final scheduled for Wednesday, 24 January.

On 11 days of the season, live and free BBL matches will follow stumps in Australia's Test series, including two mega days featuring back-to-back BBL clashes on top of a full day's play on Day One of the Boxing Day and Sydney Tests.

Throughout the 2023-24 BBL season, cricket fans will be treated to Seven's The Spin, a weekly show hosted by Lisa Sthalekar, Jason Richardson and Brad Hodge, every Thursday on Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus.