▁commercial ▁network ' s ▁bid , ▁but ▁they ▁were ▁awarded ▁another ▁three - year ▁contract ▁worth ▁only ▁$ 2 1 0 , 0 0 0 , ▁comm encing ▁with ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 6 – 7 7 ▁season . ▁ ▁Det erm ined ▁to ▁get ▁some ▁cr icket ▁on ▁Channel ▁N ine , ▁Pack er ▁put ▁an ▁offer ▁to ▁the ▁Test ▁and ▁County ▁Cr icket ▁Board ▁( T CC B ) ▁to ▁tele cast ▁the ▁Australian ▁tour ▁of ▁England ▁scheduled ▁for ▁ 1 9 7 7 . ▁His ▁interest ▁was ▁further ▁stim ulated ▁by ▁a ▁proposal ▁to ▁play ▁some ▁tele vised ▁exhibition ▁matches , ▁an ▁idea ▁presented ▁to ▁him ▁by ▁West ▁Australian ▁business men ▁John ▁Corn ell ▁and ▁Austin ▁Robert son . ▁Robert son ▁managed ▁several ▁high - profile ▁Australian ▁cr ick eters ▁such ▁as ▁Dennis ▁L ille e . ▁ ▁Pack er ▁took ▁this ▁idea , ▁then ▁f les hed ▁it ▁out ▁into ▁a ▁full ▁series ▁between ▁the ▁best ▁Australian ▁players ▁and ▁a ▁team ▁from ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁world . ▁His ▁m istr ust ▁of ▁cr icket ' s ▁administr ators ▁deep ened ▁when ▁the ▁AC B ▁recommended ▁the ▁T CC B ▁accept ▁an ▁offer ▁for ▁their ▁broadcast s ▁rights ▁from ▁the ▁ABC , ▁even ▁though ▁ABC ' s ▁$ 2 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁offer ▁was ▁only ▁ 1 4 % ▁of ▁the ▁offer ▁from ▁Pack er . ▁For ▁the ▁first ▁time , ▁the ▁game ' s ▁official dom ▁had ▁a ▁demonstr ation ▁of ▁Pack er '