England’s five-Test tour of India is set to be shown on TNT Sports after they swooped in to agree a deal to pick up the rights just nine days before the series begins.
There had been speculation that the rights for the series could go unsold but, as is often the cases with packages for tours to the subcontinent, a deal has been struck at the 11th hour. Channel 4 showed England’s 2021 tour of India after picking it up in a similar fashion.
TNT has broadcast plenty of overseas cricket in recent years, including the last two Ashes tours and England’s trip to the West Indies in December.
TNT looks likely to assemble a studio team and take commentary from the world feed, which is expected to feature former England captains Eoin Morgan and Kevin Pietersen for the first two Tests.
The rights were sold by India some months ago to Pitch International, the London-based agency that has a foothold in cricket through its work with the England & Wales Cricket Board. Oli Slipper, the chairman at Surrey, is executive chairman of Pitch.
Broadcasters initially appeared to baulk at the price requested for the rights, but differences in valuations inevitably closed as a deadline neared.
Pitch bought the rights for a long-term deal for all Indian cricket, but it is unclear whether it has agreed to sell the rights just for this series or the full long-term package to TNT. England’s men travel again to India this time next year for a white-ball tour.
Insiders have long considered TNT as the favourites to pick up the rights, but the broadcaster has looked to distance itself from a deal. Now, however, it has stepped in and picked up the rights.
Sky broadcasts all England’s home international cricket as part of a huge deal with the ECB but has increasingly looked to move away from showing tours in favour of low cost, high-volume franchise cricket such as the Big Bash League (Australia) and SA20 (South Africa), both of which it is currently showing.
Sky’s view appears in keeping with a general trend that international rights are declining in value as the world’s many franchise leagues grow in power.
Talksport will broadcast the series on radio in the UK having outbid BBC Test Match Special. It announced its team for the tour on Monday, which includes Pietersen, Darren Gough and Steve Harmison.
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