Why Steve Smith was singled out in Seven's $450million legal TV battle

The absence of Australian cricket superstar Steve Smith from last summer's Big Bash League was a source of frustration for Channel Seven, which has launched a $450million legal battle to end its TV deal with Cricket Australia.

Smith, 33, was keen to turn out for the Sydney Sixers, but CA quashed the proposal.

The decision reportedly infuriated the free-to-air network, who soon fired off an email to CA chief executive Nick Hockley.

'Steve Smith is a world-class player whose absence could be expected to reduce audience interest and the size of the broadcast audience,' Seven said in a statement of claim.

'No other cricket governing body has prohibited a world-class player from participating in an important match in similar circumstances.

'The exclusion of Steve Smith was derided by several high-profile cricketers including Allan Border, Adam Gilchrist, Michael Vaughan, Nathan Lyon and Mike Hussey.'

The development comes after it was revealed on Thursday that Seven has formally launched Federal Court action against Cricket Australia in an attempt to end its $450million TV rights deal.

The network has already filed court proceedings, pointing to what they deem repeated breaches of their six-year media rights contract, which ends in 2024.

The crux of their argument relates to what Seven believes is poor-quality programming for viewers.

It also follows the initiation of preliminary proceedings against Cricket Australia in the Federal Court in late 2020 relating to the same claims.

The end result from those proceedings was the Federal Court directing CA to hand over agreed documents to the TV network.

Seven confirmed in a statement they are seeking a court declaration that 'permits them to terminate the contract to broadcast