Spark wins England TV rights

England’s truncated summer of cricket will be broadcast live in New Zealand after all, as Spark Sport announced a rights deal yesterday just hours before the start of the first test against West Indies.

Spark Sport confirmed it had secured the exclusive New Zealand rights to all international and domestic matches played in England, under the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for the next four years.

Rival Sky Television (NZ) confirmed its deal with the ECB expired last year, amid confusion last week over who would broadcast the upcoming matches.

Spark’s coverage begins almost immediately, with the first test against West Indies at Southampton scheduled to start last night (NZ time), marking international cricket’s return from a near four-month hiatus.

The Black Caps’ ODI defeat to Australia in Sydney on March 13 was the most recent top-level international played before the spread of Covid-19 brought a halt to all levels of cricket.

This marks Spark Sport’s first live cricket as a streaming provider since it took over the rights in April to broadcast all domestic and international cricket in New Zealand (outside ICC world tournaments) for the next six years.

Spark Sport’s deal covers the various competitions played under the ECB banner, including all men and women’s home internationals, the County Championship, the Vitality Blast, the Royal London Cup and The Hundred, the ECB’s new competition which has been postponed until next year.

Head of Spark Sport, Jeff Latch, said India’s five-test tour of England next year, and a 2022 northern summer featuring test tours by the Black Caps and South Africa were some upcoming highlights.

The cricket coverage is part of the standard Spark Sport subscription of $19.99 per month, and new customers can sign up for a free seven-day trial, a spokesperson said.