BT Sport Secures Rights for Ashes Cricket Tournament

LONDON: BT Sport is set to become the home of the 2017-18 Australia vs. England Ashes and will also air live all Australian home cricket internationals in the U.K., from 2016 to 2021.

The five-year deal also includes the 35 KFC Big Bash League matches, which see international stars flocking down under, including South African legend Jacques Kallis and former England international Kevin Pietersen. Additionally, BT Sport will show the women’s Ashes and the women’s T20 Big Bash League.

BT Sport has also picked up a free-to-air rights package that includes daily highlights of international matches and the Big Bash League, as well as one Big Bash League “match of the round” broadcast live and free each week. The deal with Cricket Australia is in addition to BT Sport’s broadcasting of the annual Caribbean Premier League T20 cricket tournament featuring some of the world’s biggest stars such as Chris Gayle.

Delia Bushell, the managing director of BT TV and BT Sport, said: “BT Sport is delighted to be adding international cricket to its lineup, and to be the new home of the next Ashes tour in Australia. We will show live domestic games featuring the best players in the world during the Big Bash League and all Australian home matches for the next five years.”

Ben Amarfio, Cricket Australia’s executive general manager of media, communications and marketing, added: “We are delighted to be entering into this important new partnership with BT Sport. BT Sport put forward a highly compelling bid for the rights to broadcast cricket from Australia to audiences throughout the United Kingdom. They are uniquely placed to become one of the U.K.’s largest sports channels and we think cricket can provide the content and opportunities to help them do just that. With more cricket content now available via BT Sport, free-to-air television and through our digital platforms, we are making the game more accessible to more people. The principle of taking the game to more people is very important in our efforts to grow the game.”