England Ashes fans set to top up Australia’s coffers months after bumper British and Irish Lions tour
England’s Ashes trip Down Under is set to help hosts Australia rake in £250m as British tourists prepare to top up Green and Gold coffers twice in one year.
Five Tests in Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney starting on Friday are expected to draw 40,000 fans to Australia and contribute millions to both Cricket Australia’s coffers and the Aussie economy.
And it comes just months after fans of rugby union’s British and Irish Lions team added over £100m to the Australian economy across a tour that featured Tests in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. The funds generated by summer’s tour cleared Rugby Australia’s debts and delivered a healthy surplus.
Similar is expected from this Ashes series, the first Down Under since the hosts won 4-0 in the 2021-22 tournament.
Tickets are now unavailable for the opening two days of the first test at the 61,266-capacity stadium while tickets for three of the first four days at the day-night Gabba Test in Brisbane have been exhausted.
The same can be said for the opening three days at the Adelaide Oval, while only the opening day of the fourth Test – on Boxing Day – at the Melbourne Cricket Ground has sold out.
The potential decider in Sydney has seen healthy sales of its own, with tickets available from the fourth day onward.
Ashes cash
It comes amid news that the 150th anniversary Test between England and Australia – to take place at the MCG in March 2027 – could rake in well over £10m on its own should it sell out.
England have not claimed the Ashes since 2015, despite not losing the last two series played at home, but went on a run of three consecutive Ashes wins between 2009 and 2013, including their last away victory – a 3-1 surprise win – in the 2010-11 series.
England have won fewer than a third of the Tests they’ve played in Australia, and won just 40 per cent of the series they have taken part in Down Under.