Labour pledge to restore World Cup to free-to-air 'crown jewels' list

In amongst the 107-page document released at an event in Birmingham on Thursday, one section highlighted the role of sport in building communities

The Cricket World Cup would return to the United Kingdom’s list of ‘crown jewel’ events protected for free-to-air platforms if Labour were to win December’s general election, according to a pledge in the party’s manifesto.

In amongst the 107-page document released at an event in Birmingham on Thursday, one section highlighted the role of sport in building communities, as well as its importance in keeping people fit and healthy.

“Sport enriches our lives, binds communities together and helps us all to stay healthy,” it stated. “We will add the ICC Cricket World Cup to the list of crown jewel sporting events that are broadcast free-to-air.”

That list currently includes horseracing’s Grand National and football’s FIFA World Cup.

The suggestion comes after an unprecedented year for English cricket and a summer that saw interest in the game increase widely after England’s World Cup win, the final of which was simulcast on Channel 4, as well as on multiple Sky channels.

The game brought in a one-minute audience peak of 8.3m viewers across its various platforms. That number may well have been higher, but for a clash in the sporting calendar with the British Grand Prix and the Wimbledon men’s final between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

At a recent ECB appearance in front of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport's Select Committee, however, concerns were put to ECB chief executive Tom Harrison and chairman Colin Graves about the lack of international cricket on terrestrial television. The last time an entire Cricket World Cup was broadcast on free-to-air television was 1999, when it was on the BBC.

^{England won the Cricket World Cup in July, with Channel 4 and Sky Sports simulcasting the final}

The commitment in Labour’s manifesto also follows a report from the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee, which called for the Ashes to be broadcast on free-to-air television.

Peers suggested in that report that “at a time of division, public service broadcasters play a role in unifying the country through shared experiences”.

However, an ECB spokesperson responded to that report, saying at the time: “For over 20 years, Sky has been a significant partner of cricket, helping to support and grow the game.

“This past summer, their fantastic coverage of cricket has included the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, the Women’s and Men’s Ashes, and games from the Vitality Blast, Specsavers County Championship, Kia Super League and Royal London One-Day Cup.

“For the ECB, the key is to strike the right balance between reach and revenue. Achieving long-term, sustainable growth requires investment at all levels of a sport, from schools and clubs and on to developing World Cup-winning England teams. As a non-profit organisation, we reinvest every penny into the game.

“We recognise that inspiration is driven through more than just funding and live cricket through The Hundred and IT20s will return to the BBC as part of our new deal from 2020. This will ensure that fans of all media habits have many ways to access cricket across free-to-air television, digital, social and radio channels and of course Sky's brilliant dedicated cricket channel.”

A Sky spokesperson added at the time: “Investment from broadcasters like Sky has enabled British sports to thrive over the past 30 years, bringing the country together at key sporting moments.

“If popular events, such as The Ashes and The Open, were further restricted to public service broadcasters, there would clearly be scheduling issues, making it likely that sports fans would not be able to watch as much sport as they can today – driving down viewing, participation and investment in British sports. This would be a bad outcome for fans and governing bodies alike.”

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