Ashes Should Return to Free-to-Air Television

The Ashes Series could return to free-to-air television in the UK after being recommended to be given "listed" status among the "Crown Jewels" of British sporting interest.

England's 2005 Series win, led by Michael Vaughan, was the last to be shown on terrestrial television before a long-term deal was agreed by the ECB with satellite subscription channel Sky Sports for the exclusive series coverage, with free-to-air channel Five picking up the highlights package.

As a result, significantly fewer cricket fans and others were able to witness Andrew Strauss guide England to a 2-1 victory this summer to regain the Ashes—the first time that a home Ashes Series has not been available to the public at large.

I have fond memories of the 2005 win. Being desperate to see the closing stages, I was lucky enough to find a TV screen at a bar in Heathrow airport to watch the final hours of the Series, after deciding to ditch the final leg of a flight to the North East of England from the USA.

The numbers of travelers abandoning their plans seemed to increase as the end drew closer, and despite the final Test ending in a draw it was enough for England to seal a 2-1 Series win, their first since 1987, and there was an almighty roar and much celebration across the airport as the match was finally abandoned and a draw declared.

Indeed, as I later discovered, there was a national celebration throughout the UK. Even friends who did not like or follow cricket celebrated the victory in the manner expected if the England football team had won the World Cup!

Sadly, the win this summer did not capture the hearts of the nation, with millions missing out, due largely to it not being readily available, with many people either switching to radio, or desperately refreshing internet pages to keep up with the action, where in 2005, they would have switched to Channel Four.

I never understood why the Ashes were removed from the safeguarded list of sporting events in 1998, and obviously welcomed the decision by the Minister of Culture, Media, and Sport, Andy Burnham, in December 2008 to call for a review of the list.

Despite being recommended for listed status, that isn't a guarantee that the Ashes will definitely move to FTA transmission after 2013, with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) the first in line to lobby the Government against the move.

I understand that the ECB will coin some £100m a year from the latest deal with Sky Sports (agreed in 2008) that will take their coverage through to the next home Ashes Series in 2013, but there has to be the right balance between revenue to be made from television rights and opening up the game to everyone.

One problem the ECB has with FTA transmission is that the publicly-funded BBC has not bid for live coverage of any cricket since 1998, although it continues to broadcast the world-renowned Test Match Special through its radio stations 5Live, 5Live Sports Extra, and Radio 4 LW.

However, despite the fact that 100 BBC bosses are paid £20m a year in salaries, or sometimes funnyman presenter Jonathan Ross has a reported £18m contract, the ECB has to remember that the BBC cannot throw around money when bidding for sports rights in the same way that Rupert Murdoch's Sky can, and cannot sell advertising slots in the way rival commercial free-to-air and satellite channels can.

Giles Clarke was the man to sell out to the satellite broadcaster, and when you're holding out to the highest bidder, you cannot seriously expect the BBC to be able to compete. There are too many people to satisfy in the money spent being justified.

Remember also, that Clarke was the man to get into bed with Sir Allen Stanford in his desperation to attract revenue. We all know what happened next.

By restricting the live coverage to a subscription service that isn't available to everyone, you reduce the viewing numbers, and prevent many youngsters from watching a game they already love, or may come to love, if their parents don't have satellite or cable, and they can't watch in a bar or at their local cricket club.

The general public want the Ashes Series on free-to-air television, and with more people watching cricket and interested in the sport, should ultimately see more people going to county matches, and wanting to attend Test matches, which in turn, brings more money into the game.

I agree with Henry Bloefeld when he said that exposure of the sport is as good and as important as the financial rewards from television rights. Maximum publicity of the Series, and England generally will attract revenue in other ways, and prevent the game from bordering on elitist.

There is plenty of time for negotiation here as I believe it would be difficult for the changes to be made before the expected General Election in May 2010.

The ECB may be unhappy, but what about the millions of people who missed out on watching the Series, and will again miss out in 2013?

Football fans have been waiting over 40 years for England to win the World Cup again. A tournament that requires almost 18 months to secure qualification to the Finals, still with little hope of winning.

In cricket, England has a 50/50 chance to win something more important to them than a World Cup and fans have to wait for the highlights show to watch it?

It's ridiculous. Greed is driving this, and the ECB needs to get a grip, and do what is best by the sport's supporters, not what is best for the bank balance.

The rights deal with Sky Sports has been ongoing since 2005, and a large amount of money has already been received, and will continue to be received up to 2013, and probably beyond.

Sky Sports has a monopoly on cricket television coverage—with live coverage of all English county cricket and international cricket shown on their four channels. I find it hard to believe that the ECB will suffer that greatly if the Ashes is taken away from Sky.