CartyDurham
International Captain
If England can get to 2-2
The final Test of this summer’s Ashes series could be the first to be screened on free-to-air TV since 2005 – but only if England win at Old Trafford to set up a decider at The Oval.
i understands Sky Sports, who have had exclusive rights to Test cricket in the UK since 2005, are not ruling out the possibility of sharing their coverage with a terrestrial broadcaster if Ben Stokes’ team win the fourth Test in Manchester to level the series at 2-2.
Sky allowed both the 2019 World Cup final between England and New Zealand at Lord’s and last year’s T20 World Cup final between England and Pakistan in Melbourne to be shown live on Channel 4.
Now it seems a similar deal could be struck if this summer’s blockbuster series, currently 2-1 to Australia after three nail-biting Tests, goes down to a decider at The Oval later this month.
The release of Sky’s viewing figures for the first three Tests has illustrated just how much this pulsating series is capturing the public’s imagination, with viewing figures up 45 per cent on the first three Tests of the 2019 home Ashes.
England’s dramatic three-wicket win in the third Test at Headingley averaged 965,000 viewers over four days – Sky’s highest-ever viewing figures for a Test match. The final day in Leeds also saw the third-highest Ashes peak audience, with 2.5 million people tuning in despite the fact it was up against the British Grand Prix and Wimbledon.
Average viewing of the third Test was up 56 per cent against the third Test of 2019, also at Headingley and an epic game England won by one wicket thanks to a brilliant unbeaten Stokes century.
With Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum stating that their aim is to help revive Test cricket, any offer by Sky to allow the series finale to reach a wider audience would be popular with the team.
The potential audience that could be unlocked if The Oval Test was made freely available could surpass the 4.5m who watched the 2019 World Cup Final on Channel 4 and the 7.4m who tuned into the final day of the 2005 Ashes at The Oval, also screened by Channel 4.
Sky ruled out showing the final match of the 2019 Ashes on free-to-air TV, claiming sharing the rights to the World Cup final earlier that summer was a “once in a generation” gesture.
Yet they did so again last November when England reached the T20 World Cup final in Australia and although showing Test cricket over five days potentially presents more of a logistical issue with schedules than a one-off final, the demand from viewers would make the prospect appealing to domestic broadcasters.
The final Test of this summer’s Ashes series could be the first to be screened on free-to-air TV since 2005 – but only if England win at Old Trafford to set up a decider at The Oval.
i understands Sky Sports, who have had exclusive rights to Test cricket in the UK since 2005, are not ruling out the possibility of sharing their coverage with a terrestrial broadcaster if Ben Stokes’ team win the fourth Test in Manchester to level the series at 2-2.
Sky allowed both the 2019 World Cup final between England and New Zealand at Lord’s and last year’s T20 World Cup final between England and Pakistan in Melbourne to be shown live on Channel 4.
Now it seems a similar deal could be struck if this summer’s blockbuster series, currently 2-1 to Australia after three nail-biting Tests, goes down to a decider at The Oval later this month.
The release of Sky’s viewing figures for the first three Tests has illustrated just how much this pulsating series is capturing the public’s imagination, with viewing figures up 45 per cent on the first three Tests of the 2019 home Ashes.
England’s dramatic three-wicket win in the third Test at Headingley averaged 965,000 viewers over four days – Sky’s highest-ever viewing figures for a Test match. The final day in Leeds also saw the third-highest Ashes peak audience, with 2.5 million people tuning in despite the fact it was up against the British Grand Prix and Wimbledon.
Average viewing of the third Test was up 56 per cent against the third Test of 2019, also at Headingley and an epic game England won by one wicket thanks to a brilliant unbeaten Stokes century.
With Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum stating that their aim is to help revive Test cricket, any offer by Sky to allow the series finale to reach a wider audience would be popular with the team.
The potential audience that could be unlocked if The Oval Test was made freely available could surpass the 4.5m who watched the 2019 World Cup Final on Channel 4 and the 7.4m who tuned into the final day of the 2005 Ashes at The Oval, also screened by Channel 4.
Sky ruled out showing the final match of the 2019 Ashes on free-to-air TV, claiming sharing the rights to the World Cup final earlier that summer was a “once in a generation” gesture.
Yet they did so again last November when England reached the T20 World Cup final in Australia and although showing Test cricket over five days potentially presents more of a logistical issue with schedules than a one-off final, the demand from viewers would make the prospect appealing to domestic broadcasters.
