Tag: Barney Francis

  • Sky Sports bags England – Bangladesh 2016 cricket telecast rights

    Sky Sports bags England – Bangladesh 2016 cricket telecast rights

    MUMBAI: Strengthening its position as the home of cricket, Sky Sports has secured the rights to England’s 2016 tour of Bangladesh.

     

    The deal for two Tests and three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) means that all of England’s matches for the next two years will be exclusively live on Sky Sports, following the recent agreement to show England’s tour against Pakistan in the UAE next month. 

     

    Sky Sports viewers can enjoy over 50 England Tests and more than 360 days of scheduled live England cricket over the next five years, as well as every ICC competition until 2023. 

     

    A packed upcoming England schedule features a winter tour to South Africa, the ICC World Twenty20 in India, and two home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

     

    England’s Bangladesh tour is immediately followed by a five Test series in India, and England host the West Indies and South Africa in 2017, as well as the ICC Champions Trophy.  

     

    This is the latest in a series of rights deals announced by Sky Sports over the last 18 months. Major additions have included the Barclays Premier League for another four years, Open Championship golf from 2017, Matchroom boxing until 2021, La Liga, Major League Soccer, and most recently the Heavyweight World title clash between Wladimir Klitschko and Tyson Fury next month.  

     

    Sky Sports MD Barney Francis said, “Sky Sports will offer the complete England story – home and away – over the next two years. It’s exciting times for English cricket and thanks to this agreement our viewers can follow the team’s progress in all formats of the game, including ICC events. There’s a real sense of excitement building around English cricket after a thrilling Ashes summer and Sky will be with the team every step of the way.”

  • Sky Sports continues to hold exclusive Masters broadcasting rights

    Sky Sports continues to hold exclusive Masters broadcasting rights

    MUMBAI: The Masters will continue to stay with Sky Sports, as the sole home of the event in UK from 2015 onward, as per the new multi-year agreement.

     

    The arrangement contains exclusive live coverage of all four days of golf’s first Major of the year, including rounds one and two from the Augusta National Golf Club. Additional coverage will include daily highlights, detailed views and analysis, and content on red button, tablets and online. The channel will also have exclusive rights to the Par 3 contest, which is held every year on the Wednesday of Masters week.

     

    Sky Sports MD Barney Francis said in a statement: “We’re delighted to extend our partnership with Augusta National. The Masters is more than a Major, it is a magical tournament played on a magnificent golf course, producing incredible golf every year. Only on Sky Sports can viewers enjoy all four days live, plus the annual Par 3 Contest with extra coverage across a variety of platforms. We look forward to continuing our coverage of the Masters and providing the coverage this unique golf event deserves.”

     

    Sky Sports has broadcast the tournament since first receiving the rights in 2011. It also holds live-coverage rights to major golfing tourneys such as the US Open, the US PGA Championship and the PGA Tour, among others.