ECB and Sky Sports extend broadcast partnership till 2028

In some good news for English cricket fans, the England Cricket Board (ECB) and Sky Sports have extended their broadcast partnership till 2028. The new arrangement will commence from 2025, for a period of three more years till 2028.

There are a number of incentives involved in the new deal for the ECB. Sky Sports have committed to air 90 hours of extra cricket each year. The Hundred will be broadcasted by Sky Sports for at least five more seasons.

There will be a steep increase in the coverage for the Vitality T20 Blast fixtures. The domestic T20 tournament will see a 50% hike, with one game per round being live-streamed on Sky Sports' YouTube Channel.

Additionally, Sky Sports have also pledged its support to grassroots cricket. 

Women's cricket will also gain more prominence, with an increase in the matches being broadcasted.

Cricket is certainly not a mainstream sport in England, with football having the bulk of the viewership. However, recent developments are a step in the right direction, which should boost cricket viewership in the near future.

Clare Connor, the ECB's interim chief executive, said: 

"Sky have been fantastic partners for cricket for over 30 years. Their broadcast coverage is rightly lauded as the best in the world, but more significantly than that we have a shared commitment to growing the sport and investing in more opportunities, not only for people to watch and follow cricket in all its forms, but also to pick up a bat and ball."

"This is an exciting time for English cricket, and we're thrilled to be furthering our long and successful partnership with the ECB. Together we will continue to help grow the game while boosting participation in the sport by children from all backgrounds through initiatives like our Dynamos Cricket Intros." Stephen van Rooyen, Sky Sports' EVP and CEO of UK and Europe, added.