Live Test Cricket returns to C4

Still no official confirmation but The Sun claiming C4 paid just £7m for the series, so a third of the asking price.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/13928163/england-india-cricket-channel-4-free/

And so it ends. Channel 4 seals India-England Test series TV rights despite 11th-hour bid from rivals. Will be announced later today. Deal for white ball series still to be finalised https://t.co/X7vnKY5Lq8

— Nick Hoult (@NHoultCricket) February 3, 2021

Article says it will be on Channel 4 and All 4. With the white ball (ODI/T20) rights still to be agreed but expected to be on Channel 4.

Confirmed ... and apparently all coverage on the Main channel.

First Test cricket on terrestrial TV since 2005. The Times revealed last week that C4 were clear favourites ahead of Sky and BT: pic.twitter.com/MivbVrDV0i

— Martyn Ziegler (@martynziegler) February 3, 2021

🏏 Howzat! We’re thrilled to announce the return of Test cricket to @Channel4 with live coverage of the four match Test series between @BCCI & @englandcricket! 🏏 pic.twitter.com/klMj4g63Qx

— Channel 4 Press (@C4Press) February 3, 2021

Channel 4 will show exclusive free to air live television coverage of England’s Test series against India.

Starting with the opening Test from Chennai this Friday (5.2.21), ball by ball coverage of all four Tests will be shown live on Channel 4 and All 4. And for viewers who can’t manage the early 4am start, highlights will be available on All 4.

This will be the first time live Test cricket has been on free to air television since Channel 4 showed England’s momentous Ashes win in 2005.

Channel 4’s Chief Content Officer Ian Katz said: “This is fantastic news for all cricket fans in the UK. It’s been a long 16-year wait for the return of live Test cricket to free to air television but it couldn’t have come at a better time. What better antidote to the lockdown blues than an England Test series in sunny India.”

Channel 4’s Head of Sport Pete Andrews and Penny Mills, Head of Sports Rights, led the broadcaster’s negotiations to secure the deal.

Pete said: “We’re delighted to be showing live Test cricket on Channel 4 again and given the recent performances of both sides this series is set to be a cracker. We're thrilled to have struck this deal with Star Sports”

Captained by Joe Root, England will be bolstered by their convincing 2-0 series win over Sri Lanka which takes them to five consecutive overseas Test wins.

England will face a buoyant Indian side which pulled off a remarkable Test win in Brisbane which saw them secure a 2-1 series win on Australian soil, despite not having all their first-choice players available.

The series schedule is –

First Test, 5-9 February, Chennai
Second Test, 13-17 February, Chennai
Third Test, 24-28 February, Ahmedabad
Fourth Test, 4-8 March, Ahmedabad


Note to Editors

Channel 4 will take the world live feed commentary and its studio presentation team will be announced in due course.

Great news. Well done Channel 4. Would like to have seen some mention of the 'white ball' one day coverage in the press release though...

Think Star are holding out on that too.

Unusually the star of this actually clashes with scheduled new programming as C4 are showing the first 5 episodes of Ramy overnight ahead of it's Friday night premiere.

Some details of the studio presentation:

Sunset & Vine - well, getting the old gang back!
Suspect then studio pres will be done at BT Sport/Timeline. Probably using the same set up as they used for the Ashes coverage a couple of years ago.

Time to re-configure the massive screens infront of the sofas once more!

Well done Channel 4, didn't expect this at all when first reported. Hope C4 also get the white ball series.

Don't Sunset + Vine have their own studios? Think it is Whisper who tend to use BT/Timeline more.

They're now starting that run at 1:20 and the cricket coverage starts at 3:45, scheduled through to 11:30

There is no highlights show scheduled.

Highlights just on All4 according to their press release.