M Fleming: Game to profit from a level playing field (27 Jun 1998)

27 June 1998

Game to profit from a level playing field

By Matthew Fleming

THIS week's decision by Chris Smith, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, to allow all television companies to operate on a level playing field when bidding for the rights to Test Cricket is more than just good news. It has far-reaching implications for the future of the game at all levels, the most important of which may be ensuring that there is a future at all.

It is a brave move by the Government as it could stir up a hornets' nest of ill feeling by those who believe cricket should remain on a list of events restricted to terrestrial channels. It is, however, the fairest solution to this thorny problem.

Since the announcement there has been much debate as to the rights and wrongs of the proposed solution. The truth is no one knows what the solution is, because it does not yet exist. Only now can the England and Wales Cricket Board start to negotiate the package that will provide the most rounded deal for the game. This package will reflect the need for greater income and a real desire to maximise viewing and listening figures. The powers that be are not going to sell cricket's soul to satisfy a perceived hunger for short-term financial gain. This is just the first step in ensuring a healthy and wealthy long-term future.

There has been gnashing and wailing about 'selling out to the highest bidder; Rupert Murdoch ruling the world; money not being everything, destroying the fabric of society'. This is tantamount to burying one's head in the sand. We do not live in an ideal world, and before we can find an acceptable solution there has to be an admission to the existence of a problem.

During the 1980s cricket at grass-roots level was run down, school playing fields disappeared, time spent playing and practising cricket was shrinking and the game's status diminished. In recent years the number of schoolchildren playing cricket has increased to 1.5 million. There are greater school, club and county links and thanks to the work of development officers, the recently formed county boards and the club junior sections things are looking healthier.

This costs money, and to maintain this upward trend the grass-roots investments must increase. The de-listing of Test cricket has given the ECB the opportunity to increase their television revenue and thus improve their power to invest in the future of the game.

Money cannot buy instant success. Increased television revenue will not immediately make England great. It is, however, a crucial part of the jigsaw which will give us the best possible chance of being a world leader in the future. The new television deals will also attract sponsorship at national and county level, both of which are part of the lifeblood of English cricket.

The only possible downside to the future arrangements is the potential loss of opportunity to watch cricket to those who depend on terrestrial television. The ECB have already made clear that an effective balance between revenue and audience is an absolute priority. It is possible the BBC will retain the viewing rights to some, if not all, Test cricket. Even if this does not happen there will be guaranteed secondary coverage.

There is a camp that feels the BBC have abused their privileged position as regards Test cricket. Rarely has it been possible to watch an entire day's play without an Australian soap invading and the highlights packages were usually on so late that even if they started on time, dangerously high caffeine levels were required.

One thing is for sure: the channels that earn the rights to cover English cricket will do so because they really want them and will therefore give cricket the level and standard of coverage it deserves. It would be great if one of these channels was the BBC but not a disaster if it wasn't.

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