Sky Sports Extends ECB Partnership
Sky Sports has extended its broadcast partnership with the England & Wales Cricket Board until 2019, increasing its existing deal for a further two years.
The new agreement – taking the existing partnership into its 14th year – will cover England home fixtures, county matches, women’s and age grade cricket.
The deal also enables English cricket to continue its record levels of investment at all levels of the game.
The ECB’s previous rights deal with Sky, worth an estimated total of £280m, covered the five-year period from 2013 to 2017, with an option for a further two years.
Highlights in the new two year deal include England’s test series against Pakistan and India in 2018 and the Ashes in 2019; all One-Day Internationals and T20 matches, including Australia in 2018 and Pakistan in 2019; and at least 60 days of domestic cricket each summer, featuring every county.
Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports, commented: “We’re passionate about our commitment to the game, including the men and women’s England teams and the County set up, and we’re delighted to extend our partnership with the ECB. Since 2006, our viewers have enjoyed the incredible successes of the England team, including three Ashes victories, winning the ICC World Twenty20 and becoming the number one Test team in the world. We look forward to continuing the partnership until at least 2019.”
Brian Havill, the ECB acting chief executive, added: “We are delighted that Sky have taken up their option to extend their broadcasting contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board to 2019 as it demonstrates their belief in the ECB as well as the international, women’s and county game. This decision continues Sky’s unwavering commitment to cricket in England and Wales at every level for a further two years.
“In the last decade their loyalty and quality as a broadcasting partner has been beyond question and has benefited the game in so many ways. In that period there has been an unprecedented level of investment in the county game, including facilities, the grassroots, particularly coaching, and of course the England men’s and women’s teams. Now in this, Sky’s 10th season as the exclusive live broadcaster, that determination to support the game shines through with the announcement that every ball of the England women’s Ashes series will be shown live.”
Since 2006, when Sky became the ECB’s principal live TV broadcast partner, over £150m has been invested to help strengthen the game, by improving international, First Class and local facilities, as well recruiting over 45,000 more grassroots coaches and over 2m state school children to take up the game.
Last summer Sky Sports showed its 200th live England Test.
