Ashes 2025: Record Demand Signals Cricket’sโข Enduring Appeal โฃin a Changing Landscape
perth,โค Australia – November 21, 2025 – The โbattle for the Ashes urn begins โtoday at Optus โขStadium inโฃ Perth, marking the start of aโ highly anticipated Test series between England andโ Australia. More than just a cricket match,โ the Ashes represents a โcentury-old rivalryโค that continuesโค to captivate fans and drive meaningful commercial revenue, even as the sport navigatesโข the โrise of franchise Twenty20 leagues.
The upcoming series is especially noteworthy, with Australia aiming โคtoโฃ retain the Ashesโข – held since their 2017/18 โvictory – and England determined โto secure their first series winโ on Australian soilโ in 14 years. The 2023โค seriesโ endedโข in a 2-2 draw, adding further fuel โคto the fire for this year’s contest.
Aโ testament to Test Cricket’s resilience
In an eraโข increasingly dominatedโฃ by shorter,faster-paced cricket formats,the Ashes stands as a powerful reminder โฃof theโค enduring appeal of Test cricket. Unlike many other forms of the game, the โฃAshes consistently generates substantialโข ticket sales, bolstering broadcast partnershipsโฃ and โattracting lucrative โขsponsorship deals for national governing bodies.
This year’s pre-sale figuresโ are a striking illustration of this resilience. โคA staggering โ311,066 tickets wereโ sold on the first day,โ shatteringโข the previous record of โ111,741 setโฃ in 2017/18. Cricket Australia (CA) CEO Todd Greenberg remarked that demand was “since Taylor Swift was here,” suggesting the series could even surpass the sales figures for the pop star’s recent Australianโ tour,which drew 620,000 fans.
A Demanding Schedule Across Iconic Venues
The 2025 Ashes schedule is a demanding one, encompassing up to 35โ days of cricket within aโ 44-day period. The series will unfold across five iconic Australian venues:
* Optusโฃ Stadium, Perth (November โค21st) – Marking the first Ashes Test at the venue since its opening in 2018 โand the return of the series to Perth after a one-year absence.
* The Gabba, Brisbane (December โค4th)
*โ Adelaide Ovalโ (December 17th)
* Melbourne โขCricket Ground (MCG) – Boxing โDay Test (December 26th)
* Sydney Cricket Ground โ(January 4th)
Notably, this is the first Ashes series โinโข Australia โnot to begin at โขthe โGabba as the โ1982/83 edition, adding a uniqueโข dynamic to the customary rivalry.
The intense competition and passionate fan base surrounding the Ashes โcontinue to solidify its position as a cornerstone of the cricketing world, proving that some traditions remain powerfully relevant even in a rapidly evolving sporting landscape.
