ECB charts a broadcast-forward strategy for cricket’s future
As the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) begins to look beyond its current UK£1.1 billion (approx. US$1.46 billion) media rights deal set to expire in 2028, Chair Richard Thompson has laid out a comprehensive vision for the sport’s next broadcast chapter. Speaking in an interview with Elizabeth Ammon of The Times, Thompson addressed the tightrope walk between financial sustainability and audience accessibility — a challenge increasingly shaping decisions in cricket’s media and infrastructure landscape.
Thompson acknowledged that the ECB’s relationship with Sky remains central to its strategy, calling it a dependable partnership that continues to fuel the sport.
“Our relationship with Sky has never been better. Cricket is a key part of Sky’s strategy. And it is growing and has an incredibly loyal fanbase, which puts us in a good position for a broadcast deal,” he said.
But with criticism mounting over cricket’s paywall restrictions — England men’s home Test matches have been exclusive to pay-TV since 2006 — Thompson made it clear the ECB is looking at broader definitions of reach.
“There is the grapple between reach and revenue — and, yes, Sky is behind a paywall, but you also have to combine that with our digital reach through our own clips and the BBC,” he said.
He pointed to the BBC’s integration of short-form clips, social content, and live audio as key distribution mechanisms that are changing how fans consume cricket content.
“Those digital numbers are real numbers, real eyeballs,” Thompson said. “The digital deal with the BBC and the radio deal means our reach this year has been enormous — in total our numbers this year across all platforms were like 2005 numbers [during The Ashes series with Australia].”
Thompson confirmed that timing the next rights tender would be crucial. “We have to choose the right time to go to market,” he said, underlining the ECB’s intent to build maximum value into its next broadcast cycle.
Docuseries next in line to grow the fanbase
With other global sports successfully deploying behind-the-scenes content to expand their audiences, the ECB now plans to follow suit. Thompson confirmed that a cricket docuseries is firmly on the agenda, acknowledging its potential to draw in fans beyond traditional platforms.
“We know we’re really the only sport that hasn’t done one — and we will do one,” he said.
Reflecting on Formula 1’s success with Drive to Survive, he added: “Drive to Survive drove a lot of new F1 fans but it remained behind a paywall. Entertainment products like that can drive a sport and we are very aware of that.”
With growing digital engagement and younger audiences leaning into streaming content, the ECB hopes such storytelling formats can build deeper emotional connections with fans and broaden cricket’s commercial reach.
The Hundred and broadcast-driven growth
The media and investment model behind The Hundred has also played a pivotal role in reshaping the ECB’s financial base. The sale of team stakes and guaranteed broadcast income have enabled counties to eliminate longstanding debt, with Thompson crediting media revenue as the lifeline that kept the 18-county structure intact.
“Without the Hundred, I am not sure how long we could have sustained 18 counties,” he said. “We had some of the most expensive debt in sport. It was crucifying them — the interest payments were killing any profit. Now they have become profitable overnight. It has allowed us to reset the game, but the money has to be used wisely. We cannot, in ten years’ time, be back where we were.”
Thompson’s remarks highlight how modern cricket economics are increasingly dependent on broadcast stability — not only to fund elite competitions but also to sustain foundational structures.
With the global cricket economy becoming more interconnected and reliant on consistent, high-quality broadcast output, the ECB’s vision under Thompson seeks to place England at the centre of that evolution — digitally, financially, and architecturally.
