Live Cricket back on the BBC from 2020

In light of England winning the Cricket World Cup yesterday, with a peak of over 8million watching on Channel 4 and Sky Sports, a reminder that English international and domestic cricket will be shown live on BBC TV from 2020.

In a five-year deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), more than 100 hours of cricket will be broadcast each summer.

The contract includes live TV coverage of England men and women’s Twenty20 internationals and the ECB’s new men’s domestic T20 tournament.

TV highlights of England men’s home Tests, one-day internationals and T20s will also be shown.

The BBC, which this year celebrates Test Match Special’s 60th birthday, also retained radio rights and digital clips for English cricket.

Digital clips mean in-play video action clips and short-form highlights on the BBC Sport website and app for all England internationals and domestic games.

The BBC last broadcast live televised cricket in 1999 and the sport has not been available on free-to-air TV since the 2005 Ashes series, shown on Channel 4.

“It’s long been our ambition to bring live cricket back to BBC television,” said BBC director general Tony Hall. “I’m thrilled to see that ambition realised.

“Cricket is an integral part of the British summer and the BBC will be putting its full weight behind the nation’s favourite summer sport.

“Our aim will be to make the new T20 competition a huge success.”

Each summer from 2020 to 2024, the BBC will broadcast live TV coverage of:

Two England men’s home T20s
One England women’s home T20s
10 men’s matches from the ECB’s new domestic city-based T20 competition
Up to eight matches from the women’s domestic T20 tournament, including both finals
The BBC will also show:

Highlights of England men’s home Tests, ODIs and T20s
Highlights of England women’s home internationals
Digital clips of men and women’s internationals, plus County Championship, One-Day Cup and T20 matches

Sky will broadcast live TV coverage of Tests, England men’s and women’s internationals, plus the One-Day Cup and the County Championship.

The BBC will show highlights of all England home internationals at prime time, which is a significant change from the usual late-night schedule.

‘Cricket on BBC TV from 2020-2024
England men’s home Tests Highlights
England men’s Twenty20s Two games broadcast live
England men’s ODIs Highlights
England women’s T20s One game broadcast live
New men’s domestic T20 competition 10 games broadcast live, including final
Women’s domestic T20 competition Eight games broadcast live, including final