Gone are the days of free televised live cricket coverage. The majority of live televised cricket is now via satellite subscription channels, while free viewing is limited to the featured packages. But while the rewards include high-quality commentary and a wide range of high-tech TV analysis tools, are you prepared to pay for the privilege?
Some of these channels also broadcast cricket live on the internet, radio and mobile devices and broadcast to much of the world. The increased variety of media and wide global coverage by major broadcasters is a growing trend and is good news for cricket fans as a venue of healthy competition is sure to drive pay-per-view prices down.
Pay-per-view cricket is widely available, so here’s a little insight into the biggest and best channels. Your global location determines which live cricket channel your TV can receive and whether it’s satellite, cable or both.
British Sky Broadcasting (Sky Sports) provides excellent service to viewers in the UK and Ireland, but not elsewhere. There’s a high level of commentary from former test players, live action and highlights, and plenty of high-tech analysis to further the discussion. Sky shows live cricket coverage from around the world.
If you subscribe to Sky Sports and Sky Multiroom, you can also receive the same live Sky Sports cricket coverage as a live stream over broadband internet on your PC. This is a new service and there are some technology issues. You will have to pay more for each cricket event, just like with other online streaming services. This is for the really keen cricket fans, as Sky Multiroom means you can already watch cricket on at least two other screens in your home. Sky’s downside is cost and commitment, with only its most expensive contract packages including Sky Sports.
Channel Nine has historically broadcast free live cricket in Australia, but since 1995 Fox Sports satellite coverage has provided stiff competition. However, ESPN Star Sports now has the exclusive rights to broadcast Cricket Australia’s local domestic and international matches for four years, via TV, Internet, mobile and radio covering the entire Asian region.
The last major development in live cricket broadcasting was in June 2007, when the ESPN Star cable television network launched a 24-hour cricket channel called Star Cricket aimed at Indian audiences. ESPN Star has a massive audience, broadcasting to 25 countries and 150 million households across Asia. Star Cricket is also available through TataSky TV and Dish TV satellite stations. It includes live cricket, recaps and cricket news updates, a real party for cricket fans.
Ten Sports is also a major satellite sports channel for customers in South Asia, broadcasting live international cricket to the subcontinent, the Middle East, Europe and Asia. It is available on digital TV and cable.
Many live cricket streams are also available on the Internet; check out my article on live cricket streaming. This is a huge advance over the last two years and I look forward to what will be available to us in a year or so. It seems certain that advances in technology and increased competition will give us more options for live coverage, and hopefully at a lower cost.