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India versus England broadcast thread

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shortbread

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Some great test cricket going on currently and more to follow, Long overdue!

The second test starts next Thursday and a day later England's tour of India begins.

But how does one watch it? It's not on BT or Sky sports, apparently Disney will be showing this. As much as I love test cricket, not paying for another subscription! Is there any other visual alternative or simply have to listen to Cook and co. on radio?

ECB keep talking about cricket on TV being accessible ...blah...blah...atleast put it on Netflix which is more popular. What next the Ashes on Apple TV?
 
I asked Sky about this and my contact there said that at the moment it looks like they won't be showing this series.
 
One of them must surely show it, it's almost inconceivable that the series will be on another platform.

I doubt it will be on Premier sports or Dazn UK, maybe Amazon will pick up the series.
 
Cannot believe this hasn't been announced somewhere in the UK. Putting it on a streaming service is nonsense.
 
Saj said:
I asked Sky about this and my contact there said that at the moment it looks like they won't be showing this series.
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Thanks Saj bhai.

Will be unfortunate if what is touted to be a highly competitive series ends up being owned by big money streaming platforms, will kill the game.

If not BT or Sky, BBC should step in. Will wait and see.
 
Very interesting developments, surprised no one has snapped this up so late in the day. Rumours are channel 4 or bbc may step in last minute, or Disney plus / Amazon prime will stream it. I still think sky will secure a agreement similar to the one they have with SL and use the host broadcast,COVID means their commies can work from home or a studio in uk so logistically there shouldn’t be any issues, may also mean securing the rights at a more favourable rate.
 
shortbread said:
Some great test cricket going on currently and more to follow, Long overdue!

The second test starts next Thursday and a day later England's tour of India begins.

But how does one watch it? It's not on BT or Sky sports, apparently Disney will be showing this. As much as I love test cricket, not paying for another subscription! Is there any other visual alternative or simply have to listen to Cook and co. on radio?

ECB keep talking about cricket on TV being accessible ...blah...blah...atleast put it on Netflix which is more popular. What next the Ashes on Apple TV?
Click to expand...

How do you expect ECB to make a call on away series? It’s upto Star/Disney to decide who they want to sell their broadcasting rights in UK. ECB have little say in this matter.
 
For American viewers, it doesn't look like it will be on willow. Just hotstar.
 
Hum tv should get the right
They should also feel the pain what we went through over the years ����
 
shortbread said:
Some great test cricket going on currently and more to follow, Long overdue!

The second test starts next Thursday and a day later England's tour of India begins.

But how does one watch it? It's not on BT or Sky sports, apparently Disney will be showing this. As much as I love test cricket, not paying for another subscription! Is there any other visual alternative or simply have to listen to Cook and co. on radio?

ECB keep talking about cricket on TV being accessible ...blah...blah...atleast put it on Netflix which is more popular. What next the Ashes on Apple TV?
Click to expand...

This has nothing to do with the ECB though. BCCI sold rights to hotstar Disney in India and as they are asking too much money nobody is prepared to pay the greedy BCCI or Hotstar that much. Someone may snap it up last minute or Disney plus hotstar will show this.
 
cricket4all said:
This has nothing to do with the ECB though. BCCI sold rights to hotstar Disney in India and as they are asking too much money nobody is prepared to pay the greedy BCCI or Hotstar that much. Someone may snap it up last minute or Disney plus hotstar will show this.
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BCCI is getting money from Disney Hotstar, but will not get any from UK broadcasters. It’s Disney Hotstar that are asking steep price. They recently raised Hotstar+ subscription price as well. Disney’s greed got limit.
 
India vs England Broadcast – Disney Hotstar to broadcast in UK: Disney Hotstar is expanding its wings. The leading Indian OTT platform is planning to exclusively Live Stream India vs England series on Hotstar in the market of United Kingdom. Normally it is the traditional platforms like British Telecom (BT), Sky Sports which broadcast any series featuring England in the territory but this time it will be Disney Hotstar which has decided to reach to the consumers directly.

It is worth noting that Disney Star India holds the global rights for all BCCI Cricket, that also includes the forthcoming England tour of India in Feb-Mar. England on the tour will play 4 match test series, 5T20’s and 3 ODI games and Disney Hotstar owned by Star India will Live Stream the series not only in India but now also in UK.

According to a report by Telegraph, Star India this time will now license the series to any third party in the territory of UK. Instead, Disney Hotstar content from February 23 will now also be available on Disney Plus in UK. This means series will now be LIVE STREAMED in UK on Disney Plus & Disney Hotstar.

A Hotstar subscription costs users £49.99 a year or £5.99 a month; a Disney Plus subscription costs £5.99 or £59.99 a year. Disney recently announced they expect to increase their number of subscribers to between 230 million and 260 million by 2024.

BT & Sky Sports will also face competition from Amazon for Ashes Rights

It is also learnt that e-commerce giant Amazon which recently bought New Zealand cricket rights in India are now also planning in fray to buy Ashes rights for the territory of UK. Telegraph has reported that Amazon are contenders to show the next Ashes as cricket enters a new era of live broadcasting

The proposed moves could mean cricket fans in the UK will need to pay up to three separate subscriptions to watch mainstream international cricket. Sky continue to hold the rights for home England series and remain in the mix to telecast next winter’s Ashes series, while BT Sport are currently showing Australia’s home series against India and New Zealand’s two-Test contest against Pakistan.

https://www.insidesport.co/india-vs-england-broadcast-disney-hotstar-ready-to-expand-wings-to-live-stream-ind-vs-eng-in-uk/
 
TNAmarkFromIndia said:
India vs England Broadcast – Disney Hotstar to broadcast in UK: Disney Hotstar is expanding its wings. The leading Indian OTT platform is planning to exclusively Live Stream India vs England series on Hotstar in the market of United Kingdom. Normally it is the traditional platforms like British Telecom (BT), Sky Sports which broadcast any series featuring England in the territory but this time it will be Disney Hotstar which has decided to reach to the consumers directly.

It is worth noting that Disney Star India holds the global rights for all BCCI Cricket, that also includes the forthcoming England tour of India in Feb-Mar. England on the tour will play 4 match test series, 5T20’s and 3 ODI games and Disney Hotstar owned by Star India will Live Stream the series not only in India but now also in UK.

According to a report by Telegraph, Star India this time will now license the series to any third party in the territory of UK. Instead, Disney Hotstar content from February 23 will now also be available on Disney Plus in UK. This means series will now be LIVE STREAMED in UK on Disney Plus & Disney Hotstar.

A Hotstar subscription costs users £49.99 a year or £5.99 a month; a Disney Plus subscription costs £5.99 or £59.99 a year. Disney recently announced they expect to increase their number of subscribers to between 230 million and 260 million by 2024.

BT & Sky Sports will also face competition from Amazon for Ashes Rights

It is also learnt that e-commerce giant Amazon which recently bought New Zealand cricket rights in India are now also planning in fray to buy Ashes rights for the territory of UK. Telegraph has reported that Amazon are contenders to show the next Ashes as cricket enters a new era of live broadcasting

The proposed moves could mean cricket fans in the UK will need to pay up to three separate subscriptions to watch mainstream international cricket. Sky continue to hold the rights for home England series and remain in the mix to telecast next winter’s Ashes series, while BT Sport are currently showing Australia’s home series against India and New Zealand’s two-Test contest against Pakistan.

https://www.insidesport.co/india-vs...expand-wings-to-live-stream-ind-vs-eng-in-uk/
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I think 5-6 pound for just that 1 month when the series is on is not bad deal.. right?
 
If what has been announced as the English Commentary team for this series is true, then we are in for some awful time listening them in the broadcast.

Mark butcher is not suitable for running commentary with his sleep inducing pace and tone. Nick knight is just plain boring (KP in his place would have been better)

Bumble would have been a fantastic addition, unfortunately, no sky team means, no bumble (no nass and no athers as well).

From Indian perspective, we have got the usual set of below par English commentators in LSK and gang (no sanju manju is a relief, though). Harsha's been awful for sometime no, we desperately need some new voices with better commentating skills (not Murali Karthik and Deep da) who are not necessarily former international players.
 
avidlearner said:
If what has been announced as the English Commentary team for this series is true, then we are in for some awful time listening them in the broadcast.

Mark butcher is not suitable for running commentary with his sleep inducing pace and tone. Nick knight is just plain boring (KP in his place would have been better)

Bumble would have been a fantastic addition, unfortunately, no sky team means, no bumble (no nass and no athers as well).

From Indian perspective, we have got the usual set of below par English commentators in LSK and gang (no sanju manju is a relief, though). Harsha's been awful for sometime no, we desperately need some new voices with better commentating skills (not Murali Karthik and Deep da) who are not necessarily former international players.
Click to expand...

Other than Agarkar who has very fresh perspective, there not many out there. Aakash Chopra is decent but he prefers to cover the Hindi audience. People like Dravid , Kumble and Ganguly are in high profile jobs, so they are not available either.
 
avidlearner said:
If what has been announced as the English Commentary team for this series is true, then we are in for some awful time listening them in the broadcast.

Mark butcher is not suitable for running commentary with his sleep inducing pace and tone. Nick knight is just plain boring (KP in his place would have been better)

Bumble would have been a fantastic addition, unfortunately, no sky team means, no bumble (no nass and no athers as well).

From Indian perspective, we have got the usual set of below par English commentators in LSK and gang (no sanju manju is a relief, though). Harsha's been awful for sometime no, we desperately need some new voices with better commentating skills (not Murali Karthik and Deep da) who are not necessarily former international players.
Click to expand...

Awful is a understatement.

May be even KP would have been a good addition.
 
TNAmarkFromIndia said:
A Hotstar subscription costs users £49.99 a year or £5.99 a month; a Disney Plus subscription costs £5.99 or £59.99 a year. Disney recently announced they expect to increase their number of subscribers to between 230 million and 260 million by 2024.

BT & Sky Sports will also face competition from Amazon for Ashes Rights

It is also learnt that e-commerce giant Amazon which recently bought New Zealand cricket rights in India are now also planning in fray to buy Ashes rights for the territory of UK. Telegraph has reported that Amazon are contenders to show the next Ashes as cricket enters a new era of live broadcasting

The proposed moves could mean cricket fans in the UK will need to pay up to three separate subscriptions to watch mainstream international cricket. Sky continue to hold the rights for home England series and remain in the mix to telecast next winter’s Ashes series, while BT Sport are currently showing Australia’s home series against India and New Zealand’s two-Test contest against Pakistan.

https://www.insidesport.co/india-vs...expand-wings-to-live-stream-ind-vs-eng-in-uk/
Click to expand...

I was afraid of this, Its all $£$£$£

Once the likes of Disney, Amazon taste blood, there will be no looking back. ECB needs to step in or whatever popularity English cricket has built over the Ashes and the World cup win will now be squandered away!
 
Charu Sharma - I think he is not active in commentary works, anymore (besides IIRC, he had a bad breakup with BCCI/some of the senior players in the early years of IPL when he was in some managerial position with RCB).

Whatever I remember of him from his last few works as a commentator/or an TV analyst he came across as someone who was very snarky/snide in his comments.
 
shortbread said:
I was afraid of this, Its all $£$£$£

Once the likes of Disney, Amazon taste blood, there will be no looking back. ECB needs to step in or whatever popularity English cricket has built over the Ashes and the World cup win will now be squandered away!
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As mentioned previously, the ECB has no purview over tv rights for international boards. Disney as the BCCI rights holder can do whatever they want.
 
Channel 4 are the front runners now along with BT Sport though Sky could still get this. I expect this to go on for a few days or even to the last day.
 
I guess the highest bidder gets the prize.

This is a huge series and the BCCI will make as much money as they can from it, which is to be expected.
 
Test cricket could return to free-to-air TV for the first time in 16 years after it emerged Channel 4 is a frontrunner to show at least part of England’s upcoming series in India.

With the first Test starting in Chennai a week on Friday, fans are still in the dark about where they can watch the four-match series because the UK rights to the tour have not yet been sold.

As reported by i in December, Disney-owned Star Sports, who control the broadcast rights to Indian cricket, were considering showing the matches in the UK through their Hotstar streaming platform.

But India’s recent series win in Australia and England’s success in Sri Lanka means interest in the rights that are worth around £20million has increased markedly.

With the country in lockdown and a huge potential audience, Sky Sports, who have shown the vast majority of England’s overseas series since 1990, BT Sport and Channel 4 are all in contention to show the tour, which also includes five T20 internationals and three ODIs.

Negotiations are ongoing but with a bidding war underway, the rights are set to go to one of that trio in the coming days.

i understands the most likely outcome will see BT Sport and Channel 4 win a joint bid that will see at least one of the four Tests shown by the terrestrial broadcaster. One other scenario might see Hotstar share the rights with Channel 4.

Test cricket was last shown on free-to-air TV in the UK in 2005, when Channel 4 broadcast the iconic Ashes series that ended with England beating Australia for the first time in 18 years.

However, if Channel Four do get a share of the rights for this India series, it would be the first time ever that an England overseas Test match has been shown on free-to-air TV in the UK.

Although a deal between BT and Channel 4 is by no means certain, the prospect of Test cricket being shown on terrestrial TV for the first time in two decades will be a tantalising one for many fans and a welcome shot in the arm for the sport’s popularity in the UK.

The hunger for international cricket among the wider public was evident when Sky Sports shared the rights to the 2019 World Cup Final between England and New Zealand at Lord’s and 8.3million tuned in to watch the action on Channel 4.
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https://inews.co.uk/sport/cricket/i...t-series-uk-live-coverage-bt-sport-sky-848462
 
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Agh, I don’t have BT Sport.... might have to upgrade my subscription on a short-term basis.

Channel 4 would be good.

Not feeling optimistic about Sky.

Hopefully there is BBC radio coverage from Test Match Special. Might have to fall back on that.
 
I've heard that Chanel 4 has tabled a bid for the television rights.

The deal hasn't been finalised yet though.
 
Saj said:
I've heard that Chanel 4 has tabled a bid for the television rights.

The deal hasn't been finalised yet though.
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Wow, free to air test cricket, some respite during the lockdown. Fingers crossed!
 
Channel 4 has approached several star names to be pundits for next month’s India v England Test and limited-overs series as the broadcaster closes in on the TV rights.

The approaches reinforce Channel 4’s position as frontrunners for the broadcast rights to the series, as reported by The Times.

Unless Sky returns to the table with an improved offer, Channel 4’s bid is expected to be confirmed over the weekend or on Monday, before the first Test next week. It would be the first time live Test cricket has been on terrestrial television since 2005.

It is understood Channel 4 has approached former England captains — possibly including Kevin Pietersen and Michael Vaughan — to be studio guests in London.

They would provide the expert analysis, with the commentary coming from the world feed provided from India.

Star Sports in India own the rights to the series and had hoped to sell them to a UK broadcaster for £20 million-plus but, with time running out before the first Test, are believed to have had to settle for a lot less.

Although it is not unusual for TV deals for series played in India to be finalised at the last minute, there has been much uncertainty about how UK-based fans would be able to watch the games. Initially, Star Sports planned to only make the matches available to UK viewers via their own streaming service Hotstar, which would have involved fans taking out an additional monthly subscription. It then emerged they were also obliged to provide rights to a TV service.

Sky and BT Sport were also offered the rights but have been unable to clinch a deal. As previously reported, Channel 4 has started planning for the broadcast of the four-match series and have been in contact with freelance production and commentary personnel about their availability.

England’s two-month tour of India consists of four Test matches, five T20s and three one-day internationals running between February 5 and March 28.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India is only allowing the host broadcaster entry to the venues, meaning that as with the recent Tests between England and Sri Lanka, all other coverage will have to be from television pictures. talkSPORT beat the BBC to secure the radio rights for the tour but will also be broadcasting from the UK.
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https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...pundits-for-englands-tests-in-india-z82hg3jz2
 
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England’s Test team could be set to return to Channel 4 for their first live appearance on terrestrial television in more than 15 years unless either Sky or BT Sport submit a late bid for rights to the series in India.

The first Test of the two-month tour begins in Chennai on Friday and negotiations over UK broadcasting are still to be concluded, with the global rights holders, Star Sports, having held talks with Channel 4, Sky and BT. A source close to the deal in India told the Observer on Saturday that a contract has not yet been signed but added that the offer from Channel 4 is “compelling” and an announcement could come as soon as Monday if no further bids arrive.

Sky has privately played down the prospects of a deal but may yet feel forced to move. However, Sky is also looking to secure the rights for next winter’s away Ashes series – slated for a possible mid-December start because of quarantine restrictions – which are due to become available after four years of BT Sport showing Australian home matches.

Sky shouldering arms to the India rights would pave the way for Channel 4 to televise its first Test cricket since the 2005 Ashes – and the first proper away coverage on terrestrial TV in England’s history – and could reopen the debate about the visibility of the men’s national team outside the two home Twenty20s per summer shown on BBC Sport.

Channel 4 is remaining tight-lipped on its prospects but appears confident of attracting strong audience figures during the UK lockdown. That was certainly the case for the 2019 World Cup final, when a late decision by Sky to share its broadcast resulted in a record UK audience for an England international.

An audience of 15.4m tuned in to Channel 4 for some part of England’s triumph that day and a peak of of 8.7m viewers at the start of the super over – 5.2m on Channel 4 and 3.7m via Sky’s platforms – surpassed the previous record peak of 8.4m for the closing stages of the 2005 Trent Bridge Ashes Test.

Star had originally considered showing the tour on its Hotstar streaming service in the UK, however the Board of Control for Cricket in India reportedly insisted a traditional linear broadcaster be secured also. The radio rights in the UK have already gone to TalkSport, who outbid the BBC, and though a Test Match Special programme is still expected to air in some form, it would not contain ball-by-ball commentary.

Jos Buttler, meanwhile, has defended England’s decision to fly him home to rest after the first Test in Chennai, before returning for the white-ball leg of the tour. Speaking to Indian reporters on Saturday, the wicketkeeper said: “The ECB have been forward thinking in rotating players for this series. At times, it’s frustrating as you want to have the best players on the show all the time but it’s not possible with the amount of time that you spend in a bio bubble.
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https://amp.theguardian.com/sport/2...strial-tv-as-channel-4-closes-on-india-series
 
It's clear that Disney are trying to smoke out a late bid from BT or Sky by using all these 'well-placed sources' to divulge that Channel 4 are a credible bidder for the rights. That's why they are dragging out the negotiations.

It's interesting that the BCCI are forcing Disney to distribute the rights to a traditional broadcaster and not just stream the series online. In the long-run, showing the cricket on terrestrial television will benefit all stakeholders concerned, including Disney.
 
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 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.
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https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket...WT.mc_id=tmgliveapp_androidshare_Awn6PJWLnsBs
 
These anonymous sources from Disney are sounding increasingly desperate about the state of the negotiations, or lack thereof, with sky and bt. They are positively gagging for a late bid from one of those two.

The saturation of the sports rights market is finally biting pay-tv companies.

I'd still be pleasantly surprised if Channel 4 manages to secure these rights.
 
Still can’t see sky or bt not coming in late in the day, it would be a major coup for channel 4 but they would pay a fraction of what the actual rights may be worth, star sports are still holding out with hope looks like a game of cat and mouse
 
I cannot believe the fact that these rights haven't been snapped up by Sky or BT. These channels charge a hefty premium to their subscribers as a result of which their pockets are deep. How Channel 4 could even be in contemplation, let alone the front runner, in a high profile series like this, is truly perplexing.
 
freelance_cricketer said:
This will be another epic series, hopefully.
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Lmao not at all I’m calling it 4-0 to India and all matches will be extremely one sided and will finish on day 3 or 4 we can come back to this post if anything else happens and the matches aren’t even going to be close England will be annihilated.
 
Usman said:
I cannot believe the fact that these rights haven't been snapped up by Sky or BT. These channels charge a hefty premium to their subscribers as a result of which their pockets are deep. How Channel 4 could even be in contemplation, let alone the front runner, in a high profile series like this, is truly perplexing.
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India is a boring destination to watch cricket for British. They rather be playing an exciting, challenging and a fun team.
 
Usman said:
I cannot believe the fact that these rights haven't been snapped up by Sky or BT. These channels charge a hefty premium to their subscribers as a result of which their pockets are deep. How Channel 4 could even be in contemplation, let alone the front runner, in a high profile series like this, is truly perplexing.
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Since the sky takeover by Comcast, they haven't been aggressive in bidding for sports rights other than their flagship property (Premier League). BT has also toned down its interest in expensive sports rights quite a bit. The virus has only amplified the parlous nature of the market.

Disney probably hoped to stream the matches exclusively on their online platform, which was they weren't that concerned if sky or BT did not bid full value for the rights. However, the BCCI's insistence in making the series available on a traditional tv network has allowed Channel 4 to make an offer. If Disney are able to get concessions from Channel 4 on free advertising for their new streaming service in the UK, it won't be a bad deal for them.

I am still expecting a last-minute deal with pay tv though.
 
avidlearner said:
If what has been announced as the English Commentary team for this series is true, then we are in for some awful time listening them in the broadcast.

Mark butcher is not suitable for running commentary with his sleep inducing pace and tone. Nick knight is just plain boring (KP in his place would have been better)

Bumble would have been a fantastic addition, unfortunately, no sky team means, no bumble (no nass and no athers as well).

From Indian perspective, we have got the usual set of below par English commentators in LSK and gang (no sanju manju is a relief, though). Harsha's been awful for sometime no, we desperately need some new voices with better commentating skills (not Murali Karthik and Deep da) who are not necessarily former international players.
Click to expand...

Awful??? He was a novelty in the 90's, he's passed his shelf life about 15 years ago. I'd prefer several aus commies who are more fun - Agarkar is not bad and he surprising gives a good assessment especially on fielding positions...lets see...
 
Usman said:
I cannot believe the fact that these rights haven't been snapped up by Sky or BT. These channels charge a hefty premium to their subscribers as a result of which their pockets are deep. How Channel 4 could even be in contemplation, let alone the front runner, in a high profile series like this, is truly perplexing.
Click to expand...

I don't think it's simple as the highest bidder gets it. I'm sure BT or Sky would have put forward a more favourable deal than a free to air operator like Channel 4, it's just that Disney wants more money from the big pay-tv operators. They would rather have Channel 4 show it through a charitable deal, rather than set a low price benchmark that would make future negotiations difficult with the likes of BT or Sky.

Disney paid $71 to buy 21st Century Fox, in comparison Sky/BT look like corner shop operations.
 
James said:
Any updates yet chaps?
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Telegraph reporting that Channel 4 will bag the rights barring a last minute bid from somewhere else.

The 3rd Test is a day-nighter and will start at 9am so that would be absolutely perfect for UK viewers.

Huge opportunity to introduce cricket to new fans too with the lockdown.
 
Markhor said:
Telegraph reporting that Channel 4 will bag the rights barring a last minute bid from somewhere else.

The 3rd Test is a day-nighter and will start at 9am so that would be absolutely perfect for UK viewers.

Huge opportunity to introduce cricket to new fans too with the lockdown.
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Thanks!
Can’t wait.
 
Decision was due to be made on Monday , seems like Hot star still hoping for sky to come in and save the day. Looks like sky are prioritizing the Pak vs SA :)) :))
 
shortbread said:
I don't think it's simple as the highest bidder gets it. I'm sure BT or Sky would have put forward a more favourable deal than a free to air operator like Channel 4, it's just that Disney wants more money from the big pay-tv operators. They would rather have Channel 4 show it through a charitable deal, rather than set a low price benchmark that would make future negotiations difficult with the likes of BT or Sky.

Disney paid $71 to buy 21st Century Fox, in comparison Sky/BT look like corner shop operations.
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What do you mean by "charitable deal"? I am sure Channel 4 would pay considerably less than Sky or BT, which feeds into your next point about pricing...future broadcasters will shrug if BCCI/Disney whoever owns the rights, ask for more money. So this is not very clever. Unless I am missing something?

Have Disney simply overestimated their reach and the global Indian market?

I'm just confused as to why India with it's larger market could not secure a deal, while PCB secured a deal north of 200 million USD over 3 years.
 
shortbread said:
I don't think it's simple as the highest bidder gets it. I'm sure BT or Sky would have put forward a more favourable deal than a free to air operator like Channel 4, it's just that Disney wants more money from the big pay-tv operators. They would rather have Channel 4 show it through a charitable deal, rather than set a low price benchmark that would make future negotiations difficult with the likes of BT or Sky.

Disney paid $71 to buy 21st Century Fox, in comparison Sky/BT look like corner shop operations.
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it is all about the money, if you think Disney would rather give the rights away for peanuts to channel 4 then you are quite wide of the mark.

Regardless of who gets the rights the benchmark has now been reduced severely, SKY and BT have played hardball, Disney thought they would pay a premium but they have massively overestimated the lure of this series.

SKY are pretty comfortable at the moment, they have just been given an additional series for free from the ECB this summer as a thank you for their work covering England last season, matched with a bumper summer lined and an already packed schedule of cricket at present with the PAK vs SA and T10 they wouldn't mind missing out. BT don't have the money to bid for it currently.

No matter what happens at the end it is a very strange situation, especially as a lot of other boards have been securing TV deals in the current climate. Interesting to see how this develops.
 
mastimasti said:
What do you mean by "charitable deal"? I am sure Channel 4 would pay considerably less than Sky or BT, which feeds into your next point about pricing...future broadcasters will shrug if BCCI/Disney whoever owns the rights, ask for more money. So this is not very clever. Unless I am missing something?

Have Disney simply overestimated their reach and the global Indian market?

I'm just confused as to why India with it's larger market could not secure a deal, while PCB secured a deal north of 200 million USD over 3 years.
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Pakistan plays attractive brand of cricket and British people love PCT. Sadly I don't think anyone in England likes Indian team. That's why PCB is printing money by tons and nobody wants to show India series. :sa
 
JattMaula said:
Pakistan plays attractive brand of cricket and British people love PCT. Sadly I don't think anyone in England likes Indian team. That's why PCB is printing money by tons and nobody wants to show India series. :sa
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That's incorrect.

There's a huge fanbase for India and the tv figures will be huge.

The fact is the likes of Sky just don't have the money.
 
mastimasti said:
What do you mean by "charitable deal"? I am sure Channel 4 would pay considerably less than Sky or BT, which feeds into your next point about pricing...future broadcasters will shrug if BCCI/Disney whoever owns the rights, ask for more money. So this is not very clever. Unless I am missing something?

Have Disney simply overestimated their reach and the global Indian market?

I'm just confused as to why India with it's larger market could not secure a deal, while PCB secured a deal north of 200 million USD over 3 years.
Click to expand...

The BCCI sold all international distribution rights to Star in 2018, who have been broadcasting Indian cricket on their streaming platform in the UK since then.

The rights are worth more to Star (now part of Disney since the takeover) if they sell to a pay-tv channel such as Sky or BT than if they distributed it on a terrestrial network as Channel 4, because:

a.) Disney are directly competing with pay-tv networks for subscriptions;
b.) The cross-sectional promotions available for Disney on terrestrial tv are invaluable given that they can avail free advertising for their products in the UK, including the launch of a new streaming network next month; and
c.) Disney can build a captive audience of Indian cricket fans who could potentially subscribe to their service for future India series. Sky also stand to benefit from this effect given that any new cricket fans that are introduced to the game on FTA are more likely to subscribe to Sky in the summer.

So it makes total sense why the rights value is different for Channel 4 than for anyone else.
 
mastimasti said:
I'm just confused as to why India with it's larger market could not secure a deal, while PCB secured a deal north of 200 million USD over 3 years.
Click to expand...

PCB's deal with PTV (a revenue sharing deal which potentially may generate $200m) was for home broadcasting rights whereas these negotiations by the Indian rights holders Star are for UK TV rights for this particular series.

PCB also had to sell their overseas broadcasting rights separately in different markets.
 
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mastimasti said:
What do you mean by "charitable deal"? I am sure Channel 4 would pay considerably less than Sky or BT, which feeds into your next point about pricing...future broadcasters will shrug if BCCI/Disney whoever owns the rights, ask for more money. So this is not very clever. Unless I am missing something?

Have Disney simply overestimated their reach and the global Indian market?

I'm just confused as to why India with it's larger market could not secure a deal, while PCB secured a deal north of 200 million USD over 3 years.
Click to expand...

What are you saying.

BCCI rights for its series are already sold for $950mn plus to STAR. This is guaranteed money.

PCB estimates that its total broadcasting revenue may be $200mn, its an estimate with no guaranteed amount.

So there is no comparison really.

Disney will stream the matches on Hotstar. So the audience will get divided between stream snd tv watchers. Hence Sky or BT may offer less.
 
Saj said:
That's incorrect.

There's a huge fanbase for India and the tv figures will be huge.

The fact is the likes of Sky just don't have the money.
Click to expand...

If Hotstar is streaming the matches, audience and by extension Tv revenue decreases. So SKY and BT are being realistic.
 
cricketjoshila said:
If Hotstar is streaming the matches, audience and by extension Tv revenue decreases. So SKY and BT are being realistic.
Click to expand...

The problem for star presumably being why will anyone bother with hotstar when it's being reported that the series will now be freely available through channel 4. If another paid TV service were showing the series in addition to them then you could see people being tempted to hotstar, but not when it's available freely elsewhere.
 
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Sir Alastair Cook is expected to be the big name headlining Channel 4's coverage of England's Test series in India when a deal is confirmed today.

And another high-profile former England captain, Sir Andrew Strauss, is also being lined up by the broadcaster, although he may not be on screen for Friday's first Test in Chennai.

News of the probable involvement of the two distinguished former England batsmen in the four-match series will be a boost to Channel 4, who had to recruit pundits from a limited field because of talkSPORT's stellar cast for radio coverage.

But they will almost certainly secure the world feed commentary, which features former England and Surrey batsman Mark Butcher, and limit Cook and Strauss to studio analysis each side of play and during the lunch and tea breaks.

That will contrast with Sky's technologically complicated coverage of England's 2-0 victory over Sri Lanka last month, which saw them employing their own respected cast of commentators, with Nasser Hussain, Mike Atherton, Rob Key and Ian Ward based at Sky's studios in Middlesex and David Lloyd commentating from home in Cheshire.

There was even input from Sri Lanka legends Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara from their houses on the island — and then Abu Dhabi when Sangakkara flew there for the T10 event — even though they were not involved in live coverage from the ground.

There was another delay to the announcement of the deal yesterday, with rights-holders Star Sports seemingly still trying to garner interest from Sky to create a bidding war.

But Sky are adamant they will not add to their £200million of TV cricket rights and Sportsmail understands they were never tempted to get involved in bidding for the India series.

'We can't cover everything,' said an insider. 'It will be interesting to watch someone else doing it.'

Sportsmail understands the return of live Test cricket to Channel 4 for the first time since the 2005 Ashes has been secured for a far lower fee than the original £20m asking price and the deal was agreed in principle as long ago as last week.

There remains a chance BT will cover some of the white-ball matches that conclude the tour, but all four Tests seem to be heading to Channel 4, with the only remaining question being how much of the series is shown on their More4 channel.
Click to expand...
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/c...4s-coverage-upcoming-England-India-Tests.html
 
It's official.
Channel 4 have won the rights to show England’s upcoming series in India in a groundbreaking deal that sees Test cricket return to terrestrial television in the UK for the first time since the 2005 Ashes.

The Guardian understands that global rights holders Star Sports and Channel 4 have now officially signed a contract for the live broadcast of the entire tour – four Tests, five Twenty20s and three one-day internationals – with an announcement due soon before the first Test in Chennai on Friday.

The deal represents a huge coup for Channel 4, who submitted their bid to Star Sports last week – one described as “compelling” by insiders – but still feared being gazumped by a late move from either Sky or BT Sport.

This did not materialise, however, although one of the two subscription broadcasters could still come on board in some capacity, with the Star-Channel 4 deal said to be agreed on a non-exclusive basis that allows additional satellite and digital partners.

Channel 4 are confident that while three of the four Test matches start at 4am – the third Test is a day-night match with a 9am start in the UK – the national lockdown could see big audience numbers generated by England and India supporters, as well as potential newcomers to the sport.

While they last showed Test cricket back in 2005, a one-off deal with Sky in 2019 saw the World Cup final shared and Channel 4 attract 15.4m viewers over the course of the day. Subsequent research by the England and Wales Cricket Board suggested a third of this audience was watching cricket for the first time.
Click to expand...
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...rights-for-england-test-cricket-tour-of-india
 
Strausser? Ace, glad he is feeling well enough in himself to work.
 
Finally this is confirmed.

Wonder if Mambo Number 5 will be the into music. It should be. Gower and Botham even part time sky bt pundits may be commentating. I don't know if Mark Nicholas could do a dual role as he is signed up for Talk Sports.
 
Robert said:
Channel 4 has the rights!

Wonder who the commentary team will be? David Gower is available....
Click to expand...

I think they will use the host broadcast comm team, with studio guests most probably Michael Vaughan , kp, Strauss etc the usual bunch
 
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MRNaKp0hUg8" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The soundtrack of my childhood summers. Channel 4 introduced many innovations like Hawkeye and Snicko and had a stellar cast of commentators. 2021 keeps on giving.
 
Any idea who will be the commentators? I hope they atleast pick Nasser Hussain and Mike Artherton from Sky.
 
This is brilliant, a big boost for cricket in the UK. With an entire season of local cricket lost to the pandemic and challenges ahead in 2021, this news will really provide a boost to the sport.

I am hoping the cricket played will be of the highest quality and very competitive. A lot of eyes watching the sport and will be great for youngsters watching for the first time to see some fine athletes on their televisions and help disassociate with this 'old man sport' syndrome. The fact that this on free to air television back home will be really encouraging for the English guys.

I hope England field the best 11 for all games and do not get carried away by their rotation plans.

The only negative one can see in this development is having to endure some very annoying Indian commentators, no offence.
 
Channel 4 deserve credit for introducing Hawk Eye, Snicko and even ‘analysis truck’. All have carried on and used by other broadcasters now as a standard.

Channel 9 were the previous broadcaster who changed cricket broadcasting with new technologies and innovation. I.e. stump camera, stump mics, camera at both ends, graphics etc.
 
*** doeas that mean coverage will be shared with Hoarse racing again.. (the good old days)
 
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