The Ashes 5th Test. The Oval. August 20-24.

[Dr Cricket]

Reckon Sky are likely to lose more overseas cricket rights.
BT may try and do what Star sports did in India before their got india home rights and that is just winning overseas contracts and mostly showing big India games away from home IE England and Australia.


IF BT Sports get India rights, they will be a strong provider for Winter Cricket.

Essentially BT could get the same amount of English cricket as sky but pay half the price.

Sky currently pay 65M each year for English home games.
BT are paying 16M each year for Australia home games.

BT could get most of the away rights for around 6-15M pounds each year.

Good news for Cricket though should mean the total percentage of money india provides go down since UK broadcaster are finally paying the true value of overseas rights still not good enough though in reality these rights should go for around 20-25M each year if you compare it to the English home game rights.

for the fans won't be good news though.

BT will be pretty please with these deal, Ashes cricket for really good value + they get loads of cricket in the middle of the night where BT schedule are empty.

2 Ashes would cost BT 32 million with no or very limited production cost, BT only have to provide a studio, few pundits and fly a few commentators abroad.
Sky are paying 130 million for 2 home ashes series + production cost which is quite pricey.

The next major rights for BT would be the India rights in 2018, ECB in 2019.

[Dr Cricket]

I hope Bell doesn't retire.

He still has a couple of good years left in him.

People shouldn't feel they are forced into going just because they reach a certain age.

Might not retire but could get dropped.
At his age getting dropped is good as retiring.

[Arthur Crabtree]

He looks tired and a bit rattled. And unhappy. If he's more content playing a few years for Warks, then why not? He might like to captain them. He's got a family, and he's been given very little time off over the last decade, save being dropped in 2009. He was pointlessly called up for T20 games after his wife had just had a baby, which felt unnecessary.

But on form, he shouldn't be guaranteed a place. If he goes to UAE and someone else looks better in the warm ups, then that player should be selected.

Possible that dressing room unrest has impacted on him, but that's just a guess.

[rich1uk]

I hope Bell doesn't retire.

He still has a couple of good years left in him.

People shouldn't feel they are forced into going just because they reach a certain age.

I couldn't care less how old he is tbh , if he was scoring runs it wouldn't matter, averaging under 30 for the last 2 years is what the decision should be made on and that is quite frankly not good enough for a specialist batsman

[Gingerfinch]

Bell's lucky that we are still trying to find another middle order player. If we drop him then we'd have two vacancy's to look at, as well as our opening slot.

[hopeforthebest]

The idea that Bell will retire seems highly improbable as he's oft repeated his desire to continue fighting for his place. Of course there are the usual suspects queuing up to help him on his way. He may get dropped but he certainly won't retire from international cricket.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Sky currently pay 65M each year for English home games.
BT are paying 16M each year for Australia home games.

Feels like a lot for only one England tour, and probably a big series versus South Africa.

But if BT had all the cricket outside of the UK, it would be another good reason to get rid of Sky. I've not enjoyed their presentation at all this summer, and found it a too partial for my tastes. The commentators need a huge shake up, many are in a rut in terms of what they offer.

[Arthur Crabtree]

The idea that Bell will retire seems highly improbable as he's oft repeated his desire to continue fighting for his place. Of course there are the usual suspects queuing up to help him on his way.

Who are they?

[Arthur Crabtree]

My series team.

Warner
Rogers
Smith
Root
Cook
Moeen
Nevill
Broad
Siddle
Lyon
Finn

[sussexpob]

The idea that Bell will retire seems highly improbable as he's oft repeated his desire to continue fighting for his place. Of course there are the usual suspects queuing up to help him on his way.

Who are they?

Berry's previous one man destruction of everything Ian Bell evolving into his one man support group is very large evidence of how much the press opinion is sheltered by the ECB.

Berry wanted him dropped in 2013, as we heard every week in his articles, but he then wrote an article suggesting that his elevation to number 3 was the best thing in the world this summer, and that it was his role at number 4 and not the player that was wrong since the overseas Ashes.

[hopeforthebest]

The idea that Bell will retire seems highly improbable as he's oft repeated his desire to continue fighting for his place. Of course there are the usual suspects queuing up to help him on his way.

Who are they?

I'm taking the fifth amendment.

[Aidan11]

As if BT Sport aren't expensive enough they also charge a £15 activation fee.

What a rip-off.

[Dr Cricket]

Sky currently pay 65M each year for English home games.
BT are paying 16M each year for Australia home games.

Feels like a lot for only one England tour, and probably a big series versus South Africa.

But if BT had all the cricket outside of the UK, it would be another good reason to get rid of Sky. I've not enjoyed their presentation at all this summer, and found it a too partial for my tastes. The commentators need a huge shake up, many are in a rut in terms of what they offer.

getting 210 days worth of cricket for 80M plus one Ashes series could be 2 considering fixtures and FTP not announced yet for 2020 and beyond.
is pretty cheap I would probably value these rights for around 100M.

No one knows how many English games BT are getting but suspect in total BT are paying half the value Sky are paying for the same amount being played in England.

BT should be favourites for the india home rights those rights could go around 100 millions considering England are touring twice in the time frame + extra odi. better timeslot + non english game should rate decently as well and Sky will be desperate to keep those.

[Dr Cricket]

As if BT Sport aren't expensive enough they also charge a £15 activation fee.

What a rip-off.

you could always watch it for free if you know someone with BT broadband and share their login details.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Have to see if the BT commentators can operate from India...