CMJ: Board prepare to enter the lists over new television deal (23 Sep 1997)

Tuesday 23 September 1997

Board prepare to enter the lists over new television deal

Christopher Martin-Jenkins.

YOU might have thought that the major political battle of the cricket season - two divisions or 18 centres of excellence - was fought last week. A still more fundamental struggle is still to come, however: one which goes beyond the corridors of Lord`s and resumes at Westminster, in the office of the Minister for Culture, Media and Sport. It is the struggle for televi- sion rights to the game: who should have them for the benefit of whom and at what price.

It is the price, of course, which matters. County cricket may know its immediate future, but how prosperous that is will depend very much on television. So, indeed, will the practicality of the entire blueprint for the future of the game at all levels: coaches and equipment in schools, development officers to advance the game in the cities, better facilities in clubs aspiring to premier league cricket, financial incentives for clubs to join the leagues in the first place and much else besides.

Income from television at present represents 40 per cent of the game`s total income of around -L35 million and the decisions which the England and Wales Cricket Board have to make as new contracts approach are no less delicate nor far-reaching than those surrounding the blueprint.

One`s natural feeling is that there should be no debate when the board deliberate on whether to sign a contract for home Test matches with the BBC or BSkyB. The game`s shop window has to be available to everyone in the country with access to a television, surely? At the moment the literal answer to that question is yes, because access to Tests for terrestri- al viewers is guaranteed by law.

The current television deal covering all county and international cricket - worth -L58 million over four years split between the BBC and Sky - was 12 times that negotiated in 1989, largely because Sky were in a position to bid for ex- clusive rights to Test matches. They can no longer do so because of the 1996 Act which, as a result largely of influential lobbying by the former Labour Minister for Sport, Lord Howell, prevented satellite companies from exclusive rights to all Eng- land Tests, either at home or overseas.

The ECB are negotiating with the Government to have all but the Lord`s Test in June taken off the list, to give them an open hand to negotiate the contract beyond 1998 on which so much depends. They are even more keen to do so in view of the dramatic change to broadcasting generally which is about to affect us all: digital television and radio.

Like colour television in the days of black and white, they say, it is a matter of time before the great majority have access to digital broadcasting, giving a far wider choice to those who are unwilling or unable to buy a satellite dish. Among the services they will be able to watch is Sky Sport.

The ECB`s marketing chief, Terry Blake, believes that this has important implications for the board`s attempt to have the other home Tests removed from the list. "Subscription television is growing," he says, "and will increase the audience for Sky. But more than that, the lines between terrestrial, cable and satellite broadcasting are going to become increasingly blurred. It means the 1996 Act is out of date and it strengthens our case for having all but the Lord`s Test de-listed."

No one should deduce from this, he says, that the BBC would necessarily lose the home Tests if the board convince Chris Smith and his civil servants that cricket is having its hands tied behind its back unfairly. "If Sky should make such an offer that we feel the only responsible decision is to give them five Tests we will make sure that everyone has satisfactory access. We are acutely aware of balancing mass exposure of our flagship events."

Extended highlights at lunchtime and between 8pm and 10pm in the evening (the BBC had large audiences for their primetime highlights of this year`s Texaco internationals) are two possible ways of assuaging the annoyance and disappointment which would certainly follow any announcement of exclusive live rights to Sky.

THE BBC do not have a blameless reputation. Four weekends ago England beat Australia in extraordinary fashion on the third day of the Oval Test match. The highlights of that momentous Saturday were shown on BBC television at 12.30am on Sunday morning. Football`s Match of the Day was broadcast at 10.30pm.

It took Sky`s innovative approach to sharpen up the BBC`s actual coverage, most notably the super slow motion camera which can remove the mystery even from Shane Warne`s fizziest leg-breaks. Other programmes still interrupt Test cov- erage from time to time and it is a fact that, although English cricket makes nothing from overseas coverage, the BBC have seldom shown any interest in covering England matches abroad, even from the West Indies when, because of favourable timing, large audiences would be guaranteed.

But it is the lack of large audiences on Sky which makes the BBC`s involvement essential. A large proportion of the viewing public still rely upon BBC Test coverage and it is the board`s duty not to forget this when their negotiations begin later this year. The weekday average audience for Tests is just under two million; just under three million at weekends. Sky`s average for the one-day internationals, despite the fact that they now reach 17 per cent of homes with a television was half a million.

According to officials at AXA Life, the Sunday League sponsors, viewing figures for the 14 matches which Sky covered this season were poor: between 100,000 and 200,000 viewers. The BBC`s coverage of six games was watched by an audience of between 1.5 million and two million.

It is clear, however, that removal from the list is crucial to cricket`s future. Compared to other major sports, the overall annual income of -L35 million at present, producing profits of only -L25 million, is puny; less than Manchester Unit- ed`s. Some 400,000 spectators can be accommodated for the six Tests of an average summer, equivalent to an average Premier League football club`s gate for a season. One result is that cricket can afford only 50 full-time development officers in England and Wales compared to 200 in football.

Cricket still has no academy. Research suggests, moreover, that -L150 million still needs to be spent on first-class grounds to improve playing and spectator facilities; plus another -L186 million if the needs of the recreational game identified in the national development plan (and reflected in Raising The Standard) are to come to pass.

Blake sums up: "All we ask is the right to determine our own future. If we can`t get the market rate for our products the development of cricket is in serious doubt."

Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/)