The fifth instalment of the Big Bash League has started with a bang, crowd numbers and television audiences well up on last season.
The first five matches of BBL05 attracted average crowds of 22,205 - up just over 30 per cent on last season's figure at the same stage.
Channel Ten has reported a 17 per cent increase in television audiences compared to last season, with the first televised matches of the inaugural women's BBL also recording encouraging figures.
"We're absolutely delighted. We learn every year, we tweak things here and there, and we're delighted that the fans have responded positively so far," head of the BBL Anthony Everard told AAP.
"We had reasonably high expectations going into this season - we had a great year last year - and we had a high degree of confidence in the schedule we put in place and the quality of the players.
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"But five games in it's fair to say that the results have exceeded our expectations."
Friday night's clash between Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Stars attracted the biggest crowd of the season to date, with 27,611 fans flocking to Adelaide Oval.
Everard said the rise in attendances was particularly pleasing given that pre-Christmas games have traditionally proven the hardest to attract fans to, with families busy with the demands of the festive season.
The average television audience for games, including capital cities and regional centres, has jumped to 1.05 million viewers, while the national audience for Saturday's WBBL clash between the Brisbane Heat and the Adelaide Strikers peaked at 427,000.
"They're phenomenal numbers - we didn't know quite what to expect in terms of the level of interest but to have the viewership that we've achieved is really encouraging," Everard said of the WBBL ratings.
"Combined with the interest in the men's product, it gives us a huge amount of confidence going into our sweet spot in the post-Christmas period.
"We still have very high aspirations as to where the league can go - I don't think anyone's suggesting that we've realised our full potential by any means.
"In many respects that's the exciting part."
