Getty Images
Sky Sports has announced a new long-term broadcast partnership with the International Cricket Council (ICC) that sees the UK pay-TV network retain the rights to the sport’s major national team tournaments until 2031.
Last year Sky locked up the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) domestic rights until the end of 2028, paying a reported fee of UK£220 million per year. With the new ICC broadcast partnership, Sky secures its positioning as the long-term home for cricket fans in the UK.
Geoff Allardice, chief executive, ICC, said: “For the first time the partnership will be a direct relationship with Sky Sports which gives us some exciting opportunities for innovative collaborations.
“I am confident this partnership can support our long-term ambition to attract more players and more fans to the game.”
Both the ICC and Sky have emphasised the ‘direct’ nature of the relationship, with the UK network previously sublicensing the rights from Disney’s Indian-based Star. The new arrangement will give the UK broadcaster more flexibility with how it covers ICC events and opens up a number of options for digital content that were previously limited.
Enjoying SportsPro content? Create your account and get enhanced access to all the latest stories.
Already have an account? Log in now
A link has been emailed to you – check your inbox.
Already registered?
Don’t have an account?