Live cricket to return to UK terrestrial TV

[Skater]

Well prior to Sky in 2006, every home England test series was shown by BBC/Channel 4 for past 30 years or however long it's been?

Sky shared live coverage of home England test series with Channel 4 from 1999 to 2005. Prior to that, from the first televised test series until 1999 the BBC had live coverage - but the satuaration of the schedules meant they gave them up.

 

[MaD]

Simple really, if you're rich you get it all...

 

[madmusician]

Sky shared live coverage of home England test series with Channel 4 from 1999 to 2005. Prior to that, from the first televised test series until 1999 the BBC had live coverage - but the satuaration of the schedules meant they gave them up.

Err, no. Channel 4 outbid them. They did bid. Not enough, admittedly, but they didn't specifically pull out.

And "shared coverage". One test match - hardly sharing. The main test series was always in full on C4 and it was one match from the early summer test series on Sky (OK, pedants, in 1999 it was the first NZ test match, because there were only four tests that year due to the World Cup).

 

[Skater]

Err, no. Channel 4 outbid them. They did bid. Not enough, admittedly, but they didn't specifically pull out.

And "shared coverage". One test match - hardly sharing. The main test series was always in full on C4 and it was one match from the early summer test series on Sky (OK, pedants, in 1999 it was the first NZ test match, because there were only four tests that year due to the World Cup).

BBC didn't bid enough - which means they weren't particularly bothered about getting it again. And if Sky had any number of matches, along with C4, then they shared coverage, technically.

I've left DS by the way.

 

[madmusician]

BBC didn't bid enough - which means they weren't particularly bothered about getting it again. And if Sky had any number of matches, along with C4, then they shared coverage, technically.

I've left DS by the way.

Fair enough. By all accounts, the BBC bid was arrogant and late, and they were blown out of the water by a C4 bid. And yes, technically they shared Test Match coverage, but it was 6-1 test matches to C4, so sharing isn't quite the right word in that case I would argue...