Sky in the spotlight
As the debate of whether the ECB should have sold TV rights to satellite broadcaster BSkyB, David Brook, a former Channel 4 executive who has been leading a campaign to get the coverage back on free-to-air television, is about to address a House of
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
As the debate of whether the ECB should have sold TV rights to satellite broadcaster BSkyB, David Brook, a former Channel 4 executive who has been leading a campaign to get the coverage back on free-to-air television, is about to address a House of Commons inquiry.
In a column for the Independent, Brook made clear his objections:
But Sky's monopoly over the summer game is bad for cricket and bad for society. Over 30 million people watched the Ashes series last summer - more than half the country. We all got caught up in the excitement. But how many fewer of us would have shared in the nation's collective joy if it had not been on terrestrial television? Would so many people have cheered the team at Trafalgar Square? Would thousands of young would-be Freddie Flintoffs have taken up cricket?
Martin Williamson is executive editor of ESPNcricinfo and managing editor of ESPN Digital Media in Europe, the Middle East and Africa