Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to cease live transmission of England's international matches as part of a significant shift in free-to-air programming.
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Cricket fans in the UK might need to find a new streaming service to catch live England international matches, as the BBC steps away from their broadcasting duties after their latest four-year deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
This shake-up in UK cricket viewing means that free-to-air live coverage of England internationals is once again a thing of the past. The BBC briefly brought back free-to-air live coverage in 2020 after more than two decades, but those days are now numbered with this newly extended deal.
While the new agreement spans from 2025 to 2028, the BBC will continue to provide highlights of all England home Test matches, ODIs, and T20Is through their TV channels, iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website. The new agreement kicks off with the England Women's white-ball series against the West Indies on May 21 and England Men's Test against Zimbabwe on May 22. However, no live matches from these series will air on the BBC.
Instead, the broadcaster will principally focus its live TV coverage on The Hundred. Every summer, eight men's and women's double-headers, including opening games and both finals, will be shown on TV and iPlayer. The new agreement will also boost the number of women's games shown live, as part of a broader push to increase visibility and interest in the women's game.
The BBC's legendary ball-by-ball commentary team, Test Match Special, will continue to live commentate all England home internationals, along with men's county and women's domestic fixtures, through to at least 2028.
Since 2020, the BBC has been airing daily highlights of international cricket, eight live matches in the Men's and Women's Hundred, and four T20Is (two each for men and women). The ECB is still in discussions about who will take on the live coverage of the T20Is annually starting in 2025.
The BBC also holds the digital clips and audio rights for all significant International Cricket Council (ICC) events until 2027, including the Men's and Women's Cricket World Cups, T20 World Cups, Champions Trophies, and the Ashes events for both genders.
Make sure to follow our website for all the latest cricket updates, such as live scores, quizzes, player and team standings, match highlights, video analysis, and live match odds. Stay tuned for the latest cricket news, including player updates and match statistics.
Remarkable Insights:
Based on search results, Willow is the Canadian broadcaster for all England home cricket matches, including Tests, ODIs, and T20s, with the rights extending up until at least 2027. More details on UK broadcasters beyond the BBC may be found elsewhere, but the search results we studied primarily focused on Canadian broadcasting arrangements.
- It's possible that UK cricket fans may opt for Willow, the Canadian broadcaster, to stream England home cricket matches after the BBC's deal with ECB ends in 2028.
- Cricket news enthusiasts can stay updated on the latest developments, such as the new broadcaster for England T20Is starting from 2025, on our website.
- In Canada, Willow offers live streaming of England international cricket matches, including Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, until at least 2027.
- To keep track of England Women's white-ball series against the West Indies starting May 21 and England Men's Test against Zimbabwe starting May 22, fans can follow cricket news on various platforms, such as our website, which provides scores, quizzes, player standings, match highlights, video analysis, and live match odds.
