Digital TV News

Sky Sports extends live cricket TV deal

Tuesday 31 January, 2012

By Anthony Hill

Agreement brings exclusive live coverage of international and county cricket.

Sky Sports has bagged four more years of live international and county cricket, in a new deal with the England & Wales Cricket Board.

A new agreement has been signed for coverage across TV, mobile and online platforms. Sky’s existing contract with the ECB concludes at the end of 2013, with the new deal extending its ownership to the end of summer 2017.

Sky Sports channels are available as a premium add-on to the basic Sky subscription, as well as on other digital TV services, including Virgin Media and BT Vision. Matches can also be watched online, with the Sky Go app or on catch-up services like Virgin Media Player.

Under the agreement, Sky Sports will have exclusive live coverage on all of England’s test matches played at home, including series against India in 2014, Australia in 2015, Pakistan in 2016 and South Africa in 2017.

It also covers all one-day internationals and T20 matches, as well as selected fixtures including England Lions and women’s matches. In addition, at least 60 days of county cricket will be covered each summer from all the major competitions and including every county.

The deal will take Sky’s partnership with the ECB into its 12th year, ensuring Sky Sports audiences continue to enjoy an action-packed schedule of live cricket from home and abroad.

Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports, said: “Our viewers will enjoy a breadth of live coverage, at domestic and international level, and the ECB extends a partnership that has proved good for the game.

“Cricket is flourishing in England and Wales, with increased participation, record attendances and success for England's men and women. Through extending our partnership, the ECB can invest on and off the pitch and the game can continue to grow.”

ECB chairman Giles Clarke said Sky Sports had raised the bar for all live broadcasters with an “innovative, informed and comprehensive” coverage of cricket matches worldwide.

He added: “No one should be in any doubt that our partnership with Sky has been of immense benefit to the wider game. World-class support structures for our successful England teams, major ground improvements at county level [and] a flourishing coach education programme ... are all by-products of this relationship.”

Sky’s renewed contract with the ECB follows the recent announcement of Sky Sports F1 HD, a brand new dedicated channel providing live coverage of every grand prix from the 2012 Formula 1 season.

Photo by welivecricket.com