Sky Sports has signed new deals to cover six more England tours, including next year's Ashes.
Catch the Ashes - plus much more cricket - on Sky Sports
Sky Sports has strengthened its position as the home of live cricket by securing six more England overseas tours, including next year's Ashes, under three new deals.
Long-term agreements with three international cricket boards will bring a range of live Test cricket from Australia (2012-2016), South Africa (2012-2020) and India (2012-2018) and give
Sky Sports viewers exclusive live coverage of six England overseas series as well as Test cricket featuring every Test nation.
These deals complement the unrivalled schedule of year-round cricket which includes England's home Tests, One-Day Internationals, Twenty20 International matches, ICC events, county and women's matches plus a range of support programming including
Cricket AM and
Cricket Writers on TV.
They continue a series of strong major rights renewals for
Sky Sports, with no less than 16 deals over the last 18 months including live rights for the ICC Cricket World Cup, ICC World Twenty20 and the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup.
The new cricket deals feature:
AUSTRALIA: A four-year deal starting with next year's Ashes in Australia and including England's 2015 triangular series visit. The period also includes Australia's home series with South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, India and New Zealand, plus Australia's domestic Twenty20 Big Bash League.
SOUTH AFRICA: The next two England tours of South Africa, in 2015 and 2019, will be broadcast live under this eight-year deal. It also includes the current number one Test nation against New Zealand, Pakistan, India, Australia, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, plus domestic Twenty20 matches from South Africa.
INDIA: England's tour this winter is the first of two England Test series under the 6-year deal. As well as the England tour of 2016-17 Sky Sports viewers will see matches against Australia, West Indies, South Africa, Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
Barney Francis, managing director of
Sky Sports, said; "The Ashes is one of world sport's greatest events and we can now guarantee the next three series, home and away."
He continued: "Test cricket has always been core to Sky Sports and it continues this winter with the start of a six-year deal with India. Then, as England look to take the Test crown back from South Africa our viewers can see their next two series in South Africa."
"These deals give our viewers great live cricket guaranteed for years ahead; our cricket schedule is simply stronger than ever with England at home and on Tour, the leading ICC events, the major Test nations and a depth of County cricket, a line-up of live cricket right through the calendar.
"Sky Sports has never offered greater depth and breadth of coverage and this series of rights renewals gives us the strongest line up of live sport for our viewers to watch at home or on the move."
Sky has followed England live every winter since 1990. Cricket coverage on Sky Sports features analysis from some of the biggest names in the sport, including five former England captains.
The latest cricket news, results and views are also available every day on
skysports.com and
Sky Sports News HD.
