Sky and BT in Ashes bidding war
SKY SPortS will launch a major bid to regain live rights for the ashes when the UK tender process starts today.
Sportsmail has learned that Cricket australia have circulated tender documents to UK broadcasters for the fiveyear contract to cover their domestic season from 2021 to 2026 ahead of what is expected to become a battle between Sky and Bt Sport, with amazon Prime unlikely to bid.
Cricket australia’s offer covers this winter’s ashes and white-ball series, as well as australia’s other home internationals and the Big Bash league — which for the last five years has been screened by Bt Sport.
Sky are eager to regain the contract in what is becoming an increasingly competitive market for overseas cricket.
Earlier this month Bt won the UK rights to broadcast New Zealand and West indies domestic internationals, including England women’s and men’s tours respectively.
amazon made their first foray into cricket last year by securing the rights to stream New Zealand’s home matches in india, but are not expected to compete for the Cricket australia deal, despite the bulk of the ashes taking place in the build-up to Christmas.
the streaming giants already have UK rights for Premier league football in December, which they are hoping to renew when the next auction for the 2022 to 2025 cycle takes place later this year, and are not convinced that adding live cricket coverage in the same period would significantly increase subscriptions.
Cricket australia’s decision to bundle all their rights together is also expected to prevent Channel 4 bidding to regain the ashes, despite the success of their coverage of England’s test series in india.
While the series’ overnight timings appeal as it would mean little disruption to the rest of their schedule, Channel 4 are less interested in the rest of australia’s home matches and the price may also prove prohibitive.
as Sportsmail revealed this week, Sky have secured the rights to the twenty20 and one-day international series in india that follow the test matches, with an official announcement expected imminently.