BBC Cricket Secures Extended Coverage Deal, Bringing Free-to-Air Cricket Through 2028

BBC Cricket’s Renewed Partnership with English Cricket

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and BBC have announced a new extension to their strategic partnership which will see the broadcaster continuing to screen England Men’s and Women’s international highlights and live coverage of The Hundred for the next four years. This landmark agreement ensures that cricket remains accessible to millions of UK viewers on free-to-air television, continuing a tradition that was revived in 2020.

What the Deal Includes

The deal which runs from 2025-28 will see highlights of England Men’s and Women’s internationals broadcast across BBC TV, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website – starting with England Women’s white ball clash with West Indies on May 21 before England Men begin a Rothesay Test Match against Zimbabwe the following day – and also includes digital clips. Live coverage of the The Hundred men’s and women’s tournaments will also remain on BBC Sport each year, covering eight double-headers each season, including the opening matches and the finals across TV and iPlayer.

This will see more live women’s games screened on the BBC than previously. The broadcaster’s commitment to growing women’s cricket represents a significant step forward for gender equality in sports coverage.

Test Match Special Continues Its Legacy

The BBC also has a four-year deal for live audio coverage of all England’s home Tests, one-day internationals and IT20s, along with matches across the men’s county cricket and women’s domestic season. Test Match Special began providing ball-by-ball coverage of England cricket matches in 1957 and has gone on to become one of cricket’s most prestigious institutions.

Significance for Cricket Fans

The extension follows the success of the previous deal which saw live cricket return to BBC TV in 2020 for the first time in more than 20 years. This partnership ensures that cricket remains accessible to all UK audiences, not just those with subscription services. For fans, this means continued free access to highlights of major international series, including the Ashes, as well as exciting live action from The Hundred tournament, helping to grow the sport’s fanbase across generations.