Sports minister: Test cricket will remain behind paywall for years
Despite millions tuning in for Ben Stokes’s heroics, there is no hope the Ashes finale will be free-to-air
TEST match cricket may not appear on free-to-air television for years to come, the new sports minister indicated last night, after Sky Sports ruled out sharing the thus-far thrilling Ashes finale with terrestrial channels.
England’s remarkable fightback, led by Ben Stokes in the third Test against Australia at Headingley on Sunday, has sparked a surge in nationwide interest in the series’ forthcoming crescendos at Old Trafford and the Oval.
However, sources at the satellite broadcaster told The Daily Telegraph they have “no plans to repeat the once in generation” gesture it made to share live rights to last month’s World Cup final with Channel 4.
The decision is certain to reheat a debate over the “crown jewels” list of sports reserved for terrestrial television. The list is being updated for the first time in 20 years, but the Ashes is not being considered.
However, The Telegraph understands that Sky, which recently signed a five year deal for the Ashes, is all but certain to escape any future attempts to force the series on to terrestrial.
In his first full interview since coming into the post, Nigel Adams, the sports minister, said he is plotting a dramatic drive to increase school participation in cricket, but making Test matches free-to-air is not part of his plan. Mr Adams pointed out that freeto-air broadcasters should be competing with Sky for the rights.
“Cricket also needs the cash,” he said, referring to the England and Wales Cricket Board’s lucrative agreement with Sky. “You simply wouldn’t see the county game as it is without the money that comes in from the broadcasting deals. It’s as simple as that. The money would not be around.”
Sky is understood to have recorded viewing figures of 2.1million on Sunday, which matched the number that tuned into later to the highlights package on Channel 5. BBC Test Match Special was said to have recorded figures of around 1.3million.
In 2005, Channel 4 recorded viewing figures of 8.4million for the nailbiting fourth Test – the last time a series was shown free-to-air. Elite cricket has largely taken place behind Sky Sports’ paywall since then – a decision that dramatically reduced its audience but has enabled the ECB to invest.
However, Andy Burnham, the former culture secretary and now mayor of Manchester, had told The Telegraph that he intended to get Ashes cricket on free-to-air while in government.
The “crown jewel” list is ultimately the responsibility of the culture secretary, but Mr Adams suggested he was yet to see compelling evidence that free-to-air would support his efforts to improve participation in the sport.
Ben Stokes’s brilliant 135 not out ranks alongside the best individual performances in British sporting history and is predicted to spark an explosion of interest in cricket.
Sky Sports shared live broadcast rights with Channel 4 for last month’s Cricket World Cup final, a move that resulted in a combined audience of 8.3 million for England’s dramatic victory. Since then, Labour has said it would make at least one England game per summer free-to-air. The ECB says it has taken a strategic decision with The Hundred to “try to find that balance between profile and resources”.