The Seven Network has emerged as a contender for cricket’s broadcast rights, according to a report in The Age newspaper.

Seven Network sources told the paper the network has met with Cricket Australia a dozen times in the past year to discuss buying rights to cricket.

The network is interested in showing one or all of the three forms of cricket – tests, one-dayers and Twenty20 matches.

Network Ten is also interested in the rights to cricket, the report says.

Neither network has yet lodged a formal offer.

Cricket Australia’s current seven-year contract with Nine runs until March next year.

A new deal may see the three forms of cricket split between different channels.

A Seven Network source told the paper negotiations on cricket broadcast rights had been closed for more than 30 years.

“The relationship with Seven and CA (Cricket Australia) has probably never been as active,” the source said.

“We have so much regular contact. These rights will be negotiated over the Christmas- New Year period because of contractual windows with Nine.”

The Nine Network has held the rights to broadcast cricket in Australia since 1979.

Its current deal is reportedly worth between $315 million and $350 million.

The report comes the day after it was announced that the Nine Network had secured its future by nailing down the NRL broadcast rights in a joint $1.0 billion deal announced with Fox Sports.