BBC Under Fire As Sky Win Cricket

As Sky Sports win the exclusive rights to domestic and international cricket in England and Wales for the period 2010-2013 as part of an overall deal worth approximately £300million, the BBC has been accused of letting down millions of cricket followers.

Five will continue to show evening highlights in a deal increased by £80million on the 2008-9 agreement, which was finalised by the ECB after offering 35 packages to broadcasters, with the opportunity to buy individual matches.

Sky Sports bid for and won the full schedule, which includes all test matches, with the Ashes series in 2013, all 46 One-Day and eight Twenty20 internationals, the Twenty20 Cup and English Premier League and all county competitions.

The BBC did not bid for any of the packages, claiming cricket is now priced out of the reach of terrestrial broadcasters.

However, ECB Chairman Giles Clarke criticised the BBC’s decision to spend £40million a year on Formula One over cricket, emphasising the need for the public to be able to watch the nation’s summer sport.

‘The BBC must answer to all those cricket fans about how investment in sport is prioritised,’ he said.

‘All these people interested in cricket buy TV licences and surely they should have a right to expect the public sector broadcasters to mount bids for the nation’s summer sport? After all, just how many people play Formula One?’

The BBC hit back, claiming they were ‘astonished’ by the ECB’s comments.

‘We have always said that any bid for live Test cricket would be subject to value for money and being able to fit into the scheduling. In our view neither of these criteria were met,’ a spokeswoman said.

‘It is absurd to blame the BBC for this outcome.’