End of an Era

[John]

From next Thursday cricket will not be broadcast live into in Britain unless you subscribe to Sky. This ends something like thirty years of live coverage of cricket. As I have stated on this site I was always against the breaking of this tradition. It will be interesting to see where we go from here because I fear there will be no turning back.

[liamg06]

channel 5 have the highlights on mate so not live action but still action broadcastd on

[Ernest]

Yes very sad John.

More so when you think just a few years ago every Test was shown on the BBC, plus all the one dayers.

On top of this County one day cricket (much better than ODIs), plus before that the Sunday league.

On top of that on ITV the Roses match beween Lancashire and Yorkshire was shown every year.

Yes John - an end of an era.

[Moss]

Very sad, particularly after crickets surge in popularity last year.

I can't watch any cricket because I can't have Sky, nor can I watch t at my parents because they've had to downgrade their subscription.
The only local pub that showed Sky Sports has now closed down too.

And what of those people who can't receive Channel Five or digital for the highlights?

A terrible decision, and one I suspect that will be rued by the powers that be in the long term.

[Ernest]

I have cable and I could get Sky, but by the time I have bought the TV package I have now, the phone and broadband internet- it would be expensive to subscribe to Sky, when I have a daughter who wants her TV time, in particular if she has brought a friend.
So I will be following the cricket on TMS, and viewing the second hand highlights.

[Moss]

Yes, TMS is marginally more preferable to listening to Beefy bemoan everything, Bumble's annoying whine or Bob "negativity is my middle name" Willis.

[Vrock]

If you want channel 5 and all other free subscrition channels then you want a digital box, you can them for a one off payment of £30-50.

It is sad for cricket, subscription channels will get the cricket now until it is passed as being on the "A list" of sports. That is the only reason Sky didn't get it any earlier.

[Ernest]

C5 is also available in all the subscription channels like Sky - the different cable networks, and is C5 not all terrestrial?.

[Vrock]

Originally Posted by Ernest

and is C5 not all terrestrial?.

Yes, but the signal wave is of a frequency (I think it's frequency) that does not get picked up by some television aerials. It depends where you are.

[Ernest]

That's right, in parts of where I live C5 is affected by trees more than the other channels, despite being only 5 miles from "Winter Hill", I am ok with cable - but those affected really are better of with a free digibox, well worth the outlay.

Not being digital won't even be an option soon.