The Test tour of South Africa that England fans have been looking forward to for a long time is going into uncharted territory off the pitch. Cricket South Africa (CSA) hasn’t yet signed a deal with a UK broadcaster for the series. Sky Sports, which had held the rights for a long time, chose not to renew its contract.
The development, as reported by the Guardian, has forced CSA to look for other options, and there doesn’t seem to be a quick solution in sight, even though the series is one of England’s more appealing overseas assignments. It’s been six years since England had a Test tour of the Rainbow Nation, with the Three Lions squashing the Proteas 3-0 in 2020.
The tour includes three Tests across the festive period followed by three ODIs in January, but the absence of a UK broadcaster this close to the window is something serious. For over three decades, England’s tours of South Africa have been a staple on Sky, dating back to the 1995-96 post-apartheid series.
Broadcasters hesitant as scheduling and costs collide
When you look at the bigger picture, Sky Sports’ decision isn’t completely out of the blue. The network has slowly stopped being involved in bilateral cricket matches outside of the country, focusing instead on ICC events and domestic commitments. The Christmas window is especially busy. Adding another long-format series to that time frame is harder when the Premier League, EFL, and PDC World Darts Championship are all happening at the same time.
TNT Sports, which has previously stepped in for rights that Sky passed on, is understood to have interest. However, internal uncertainty around ownership and budget constraints have made any immediate commitment unlikely. The broadcaster reportedly isn’t willing to match the kind of fees (£8m) seen for recent high-profile acquisitions like the Ashes.
Why is the UK rights deal stuck?
There’s more going on here than just one series not finding a broadcaster. The market for bilateral cricket has clearly softened, and this is another example of it. Cricket Australia are in a similar situation. Their upcoming home season, which includes England’s white-ball tour and even the 150th anniversary Test in 2027, still doesn’t have a UK partner. Apart from ICC events, they haven’t picked up series in India, Pakistan, New Zealand or the West Indies either.
Scheduling has made this deal even tougher. The South Africa series runs from December 17 to January 7, which is the busiest time of the year for broadcasters in the UK. as mentioned earlier, Sky already have major commitments during that window. The PDC World Darts Championship alone runs from December 10 to January 2 and costs them around £25 million per year.
England Test tour of South Africa schedule
DateMatchVenueTime (IST)Local TimeDec 17, 20261st TestJohannesburg, Wanderers Stadium1:30 PM10:00 AMDec 26, 20262nd TestCenturion, SuperSport Park1:30 PM10:00 AMJan 03, 20273rd TestJohannesburg, Wanderers Stadium2:00 PM10:30 AMEngland ODI tour of South Africa schedule
DateMatchVenueTime (IST)Local TimeJan 10, 20271st ODIPaarl, Boland Park1:30 PM10:00 AMJan 13, 20272nd ODIBloemfontein, Mangaung Oval5:00 PM1:30 PMJan 15, 20273rd ODIBloemfontein, Mangaung Oval1:30 PM10:00 AMNo takers for South Africa vs England Test series as Sky Sports pulls out of rights deal Inside Sport India.
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