Test Match Cricket Should Be On Free To Air TV

Test match cricket should be on free to air TV. I strongly believe this and I'm delighted that the DCMS sponsored independent commission has reached the same conclusion as me. For the long term health of the game, as opposed to the financial health of already bloated county clubs, test match cricket must be exposed to the widest audience possible.

This year's Ashes series (shown on pay per view TV) had an average audience several million smaller than the last home Ashes series (shown on free to air Channel 4). Whereas 2005 was a great nationally unifying series, 2009 was a great sporting event that suffered too much from being tucked away on a satellite subscription channel.

As I previously blogged, "the last series was watched on TV by over 10 million people and these ratings could be achieved because the Ashes were on free to air TV. A wide range of viewers made up these massive viewing figures. The casual viewer who wouldn’t normally watch sport, and certainly wouldn’t subscribe to a sports channel. The poor and elderly who may not be able to afford the subscription to satellite TV. The schoolkids who chanced upon the TV coverage and found new sporting heroes to emulate.

Since the TV rights were sold to Sky, TV audiences have gone from over 10 million to under 1 million. Terrestrial coverage brings with it accidental viewers in a way that satellite coverage can not. It means that cricket can become the background to many a family summers day. Removing cricket from terrestrial television is depriving the game of the all important oxygen of exposure. Surely the loss of a massive stream of potential interest can only be detrimental to the future of the game."

The ECB's decision to sacrifice the future of the game for the Sky dollar was short termist and wrong and I am pleased that the DCMS commission has intervened to stand up for the long term health of the sport. Why would the ECB willingly tuck cricket away on Sky knowing that more than half of the under 18 year olds in the country have no access to Sky?

The governing body complain about potential lost TV revenue. But that shows a real loss of imagination and long term vision. Any loss in TV revenue could be made up for with increased advertising revenue with advertisers knowing that their product will be exposed to a much larger, free to air audience. Exposure to millions more aspiring youngsters, dreming of being the next Flintoff, Pietersen or Broad is worth a return to free to air TV in itself.

The ECB should be responsible about their sale of TV rights. Their present attitude is hugely detrimental to the future health of the game.