TalkSport has secured radio rights for the England men’s tour of India in the new year, with BBC’s Test Match Special again missing out to its commercial rival.
Both broadcasters are understood to have been in the bidding for exclusive rights to cover England tours of India – in men’s and women’s cricket – over the next four years, with TalkSport informed its bid was the winner on Wednesday.
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The deal has seemingly been agreed too late for the women’s Test match in Mumbai that began on Thursday. A source at TalkSport told the Guardian it was “exploring” how to cover the remainder of the match but, with the Twenty20 leg of the tour completed, and a team in the Caribbean covering England’s men, it appears unlikely.
The television rights for the five-Test men’s series in India that starts on 25 January are still to be sold, with TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport) possibly favourites, given Sky’s recent retreat from overseas tours. England’s most recent men’s Test series in India – the 2021 tour that was played before restricted crowds because of the pandemic – was eventually shown on Channel 4 after Sky and BT pulled out of the running.
TalkSport is vying to become the radio home of England internationals, with this four-year deal for India added to a list of overseas territories that already includes the Caribbean and New Zealand. Test Match Special still has the rights to the next men’s Ashes series in Australia, as well as ICC tournaments and home internationals until 2028.
It remains to be seen if the BBC will stay on as the junior television partner to Sky for the home summer, however, amid suggestions the corporation’s interest in the Hundred is cooling. While Sky has already re-signed until the end of 2028, the BBC’s deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board – one that also features evening highlights for Test cricket and digital clips on the BBC website – has only one year remaining.
This may leave the ECB in a tricky position, with the BBC’s reach – including promotion across its numerous channels, stations and platforms – considered central to the Hundred’s remit. While other free-to-air broadcasters are expected to enter the conversation, the upshot may be a retention by the BBC at a reduced cost.
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