The 20th anniversary of the 2005 men's Ashes series sparks reflections on its immense popularity and the subsequent shift of live Test match cricket from free-to-air TV to pay-per-view. The significant audience of over 8 million on Channel 4 highlights cricket's peak moment before the England and Wales Cricket Board sold exclusive rights to Sky. A 2006 report scrutinizes this decision and its implications on cricket’s accessibility, while addressing the lack of bids from traditional broadcasters like the BBC and ITV, which could have preserved free-to-air coverage.
"The 2005 Ashes featured a peak audience of over 8 million on Channel 4, marking a pivotal moment for cricket on free-to-air TV before its move to paywall."
"The report criticized the ECB’s decision to sell exclusive rights to Sky, which marked the beginning of live Test cricket disappearing from free-to-air television."
Collection
[
|
...
]