Hi,

Just wanted to be sure whether there is support for the idea of televised matches between international A-Teams or involving A-Teams and touring sides. A-Teams are made up of fringe players vying for Test selection.

I am lobbying the various cricket boards and ICC so just wanted an idea how much interest there is.

If you have a view please vote in the poll. The poll is public and multiple choice is enabled.

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Administrator

Of course.. the chances of the BBC or C4 getting the TV rights would be minimal.. which would completely defeat the object of televising: some day these ECB folk are going to realise that you can't make a game popular (and stand no chance of converting kids) if you broadcast only to the small minority who have the most expensive digital package on the market.

Why appeal solely to the soccor crazed household? Very curious strategy!

There will be no analogue TV in 5-10 years so terrestrial TV as we know it will no longer exist. The financial risks and rewards need to be shared. A partnership between the ECB/Players/Broadcaster and any other stakeholders needs to be formed. The costs of broadcasting reduce considerably in the digital age and a business plan will communicate the case for more cricket on TV. Who is involved withthe current american experiment?

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If I could. I haven';t been able to watch a test all year......

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Still, a man hears what he wants to hear

And disregards the rest.

Although the current sample is fairly small the trend seems clear that serious cricket fans would welcome A-Team matches televised. I wonder whether the 20/20 market segment would also be just as enthusiastic?

My research on the net suggests television broadcasters prefer covering international fixtures rather than domestic fixtures so I'm sure there must be some serious pressure to make 20/20 into an international competition. However, I get the feeling, from what I've read, that the cricket boards who are strongly influenced by the domestic clubs want more television coverage for the clubs to strengthen their domestic competitions. I'll be interested to see how my theory pans out as my lobbying proceeds.

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Administrator

I just wonder if with the increasing number of channels we may end up with CC and NUL cricket on a "local tv" channel. Sort of the way local radio has gone?

I get satellite TV and there are a few 'GOLF' channels (which imho is a good walk ruined). What price a 'cricket channel' which shows international or county or league matches. With the red button you could choose which match to watch on days with multiple matches, and you could cover international and county rights. Indeed, those television rights come up for grabs really soon. WAT TV anyone?

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I have a dream.... (Martin Luther King)

Great plan. What I'd like to see would be coverage of every county/eng/engA/whatever game being broadcast largely without any commentator:- just pictures and sound from one or two directions, maybe with replays of good bits of play. Like being able to step through your TV and into the stands........

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Still, a man hears what he wants to hear

And disregards the rest.

I believe Sky Sports are doing something similar with UEFA Champions League Football this year.

"Sky will have exclusive live coverage of all UEFA Champions League Wednesday night matches in seasons 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06.

All Tuesday night matches - other than the two scheduled on ITV - will also be exclusively live on Sky.

Under the three-year deal, Sky will show 14 matches exclusively live from each week of the Group Stage with viewers able to pick their live game - or switch between games - by using Sky digital's interactive service.

On Wednesday evenings each of the eight UEFA Champions League matches will be exclusively live on Sky via an interactive menu.

On Tuesday evenings there will be six exclusively live Champions League matches on Sky's interactive service, with two shown live on ITV.

Sky will continue to have exclusive live coverage of all Wednesday night games up to and including the Semi-Finals. The Final will be live on both Sky and ITV."

Will we ever see something like this for cricket?

Sky does show quite a few Tests and ODIs that England are involved in, particularly Away series, but they don't show series between other Test sides. I'd be happy to watch replays if it was not technically possible to show live. I work at BSkyB in Transmission and I'm sure they have spare resources to playout stuff off tape. Why don't they buy the replay rights and give us more cricket?

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Administrator

I like this idea. What theme music would you have? News items could be featured on just cricket news ( instead of having to wait till Ovaltine division 8 footy results have been anounced like now) and interviews with current or past stars, hints and tips on batting bowling and fielding, an even a 'betting' button or 'shop' button . Yes, I think there's a lot of money to be made. And when you make it think of all of us who had the idea in the first place. Cheques made payable to........
Seriously, though, this is an idea I'd be prepared to INVEST in!

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I have a dream.... (Martin Luther King)