Ashes set for free-to-air return

[Nibb]

Ashes set for free-to-air return


England won the last home Ashes series this summer, televised on Sky

England's home Ashes Tests are set to return to free-to-air television following recommendations for revised "listed events", BBC Sport understands.
International football qualifiers for the home nations, the Wimbledon tennis championship and golf's Open championship are also on the list.
But flat racing's showpiece, the Epsom Derby and rugby league's Challenge Cup final are both expected to be removed.
The detailed recommendations are set to be confirmed on Friday morning.
Last summer's Ashes, won by Andrew Strauss's England, were shown exclusively live on Sky Sports, the first time a home series against Australia had not been available to viewers without a subscription package.
606: DEBATE
Fantastic news. This must be a real kick in the teeth for Giles Clarke and the ECB


GoonerMaestro

But in December 2008 Andy Burnham, the secretary of state for culture, media and sport, had announced a review into the sporting events that should be safeguarded on free-to-air television.
Reflecting on the success of the Beijing Olympics, he said "the broadcast of big sports events... get young people inspired by sport, driving sports participation and the creation of the next generation of sports stars."
He added: "The sale of TV rights helps fund grassroots sport, so we need to get the balance right."
Former FA executive director David Davies was appointed to head the review.
In 1998 home Test match cricket was controversially axed from the list of "crown jewel" events, paving the way for the England and Wales Cricket Board to negotiate a series of multi-million pound deals with BSkyB over coverage.
The ECB will now argue that, by depriving satellite broadcasters to enter the market-place for the most popular home Test matches, their revenue will diminish substantially - and that would have a knock-on effect for the funding of county cricket and the grassroots game.
James Munro, BBC sports news correspondent, said the 2005 Ashes Test series victory, screened on Channel 4 and watched by millions, had sparked a "national celebration" whereas this year's success had not caught the public imagination in the same way.
He added: "You have what David Davies would describe as 'moments of national resonance' - in other words important events that everyone has a right to see free-to-air."
If the proposed changes were to come into effect, the next home Ashes series (2013) would remain on Sky, with the first to switch back to terrestrial TV being the 2017 rubber.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/front_page/8356391.stm

[blaggard]

Fucking eight years away!! get all International Cricket back on the beeb NOW!

[beansontoast]

I think this is bad news. Skys cricket coverage is superb & the decision is largely based on a survey of the public who (naturally) want to watch the ashes for "free" rather than subscribe to sky. I've watched loads of cricket on sky and been to games which they have televised and cricket has markedly moved on with their help. The ECB don't want this change so why should it be forced upon them? I'll take Gower, Beefy, Bumble, Nasser, Atherton, Warne, Holding, all of them, stats, hotspot, snicko, wagonwheel, betfair blimp, npower girls, all of that stuff and they deserve to show the cricket they afford to bid for because they show so much other stuff that you would think doesn't make a profit like pro40 and county twenty20 etc.

[blaggard]

Cricket on the beeb was superb and NOTHING since has even come close!