Cricket set to scoop a £1bn TV bonanza
THE ECB can look forward to a return near the £1billion mark for five years’ worth of TV rights from 2020.
There will be a straight cash battle between BT Sport and Sky after BT’s main board gave their consumer division the go-head to bid lavishly for the cricket properties ahead of the June 28 deadline.
That gives the ECB the perfect competitive scenario. Sky will not want to lose their current prestige cricket rights, which have more than two years to run, especially after BT retained the Champions League earlier this year.
It is understood both Sky and BT accept that cricket needs terrestrial coverage if it is to increase participation. So while more money will come in from a dedicated free-to-air package, that will not greatly affect the big money offers for the rest.
When all media money is combined, it is not unrealistic for the ECB to hope for around £175m per year for their properties, including the new T20 competition — not far off the £1billion over five years which seemed unobtainable at the start of the process. ITV Sport attracted an average viewing figure of 719,000 for the first day of Royal Ascot, compared to the 588,000 who watched on Channel 4 last year. But the bar was never set very high by C4 at Ascot and ITV have still to deliver — despite the considerable promotional build-up — on their promise to attract big ratings for the major meetings. JOHN FERGUSON fell on his sword this month as chief executive of the Godolphin racing empire following a public attack by leading trainer Saeed Bin Suroor. But to his credit, Ferguson (right) still hosted his post-racing Ascot party in the owners and trainers car park, as he has done for the past 32 years.
Meanwhile, Ferguson’s interim replacement, Godolphin Irish managing director Joe Osborne, had a long conversation with Sheikh Mohammed and Princess Haya in their box on the first day of the meeting and is the favourite to be given the post full time. But the word around Ascot is that Godolphin are also interested in hiring slick former C4 racing host Nick Luck. COOLMORE overlord John Magnier’s appearances at Royal Ascot this week are the first time the Irish racing tycoon has been seen on an English racecourse for over a year following serious illness.