Channel 4 is poised to be announced as the broadcaster of the England-India Test series on Monday, unless it is trumped by an 11th-hour bid, marking the return of Test cricket to free-to-air for the first time since the 2005 Ashes.

There have been intense negotiations between Star Sports in India, who own the rights to the series, and UK broadcasters in recent weeks. Both BT Sport and Sky Sports could yet trump them but Channel 4is considered the firm favourite to win the rights barring any late surprise.

It is understood that Star had hoped to receive more than £20 million for the rights but is now likely to have to settle for considerably less, reflecting the financial commitments that BT and Sky have already made as they prepare to tussle over rights for the next Ashes series in Australia at the end of the year.

England’s hotly-anticipated series in India, which begins on Friday, is considered particularly attractive to Channel 4 given the lockdown period and the millions of people working from home. The third Test is also a day-night match, beginning at 9am UK time each morning making it ideal for a UK audience.

The 2005 Ashes had a peak audience of 8.2 million on Channel 4, almost four times the peak of 2.1 million who saw Ben Stokes’s heroics at Headingley in 2019, the highest ever viewing figures for live Test cricket on Sky Sports.

The lack of international cricket on free-to-air television has been a constant source of debate since 2005. In 2017, the England & Wales Cricket Board negotiated a new broadcasting contract that included England men’s and women’s Twenty20 cricket being broadcast on free-to-air TV, beginning last summer, as well as the new Hundred competition. But the new contract still does not see put any any one-day international or Test cricket on free-to-air channels.

Following frantic negotiations between the ECB and broadcasters, the thrilling final of the 2019 World Cup was also broadcast simultaneously on Channel 4 and Sky Sports.

Given how late negotiations are, broadcasters may choose to take the domestic feed with local commentary, rather than use their own commentators from the UK over the live feed from India.

Source: Telegraph.co.uk

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