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Sky Sports have signed long-term deals to broadcast live Test cricket from Australia, South Africa and India, in the process guaranteeing the rights to six overseas England tours, including next year's Ashes.
The deals cover Test cricket in Australia from 2012 to 2016, starting and ending with visits from England but also including tours from South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, India and New Zealand, as well as the domestic Twenty20 Big Bash League. The South Africa deal runs until 2020, including England tours in 2015 and 2019, and also covers their domestic Twenty20 competition. The India deal runs until 2018, and will see Sky broadcast this winter's England tour, as well as their scheduled visit in 2016-17.
Barney Francis, the 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.
"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. 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."
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