Cricket West Indies (CWI) has reported the signing of a major five-year agreement with BT Sport, a broadcast company from the United Kingdom.
BT Sport will have exclusive rights to live coverage in the UK of all West Indies Men and Women home international matches played in the Caribbean.
The upcoming tour by England to the Caribbean in 2022 would be of huge interest to English viewers as the Caribbean side battle England for the new Richards-Botham Trophy.
The trophy honours the two “Greats” Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Ian Botham.
President of Cricket West Indies, Ricky Skerritt said:
“On behalf of CWI, and all who helped make this deal come together, I am delighted to announce one of our largest ever broadcast rights agreements in the form of this unprecedented partnership with BT Sport. Our tour to England last year helped to remind us how strong the West Indies brand continues to be in the UK, and we thank BT Sport for so highly valuing West Indies cricket by committing their broadcast support over the next five years. I am especially pleased that, in partnership with ESPN, BT Sport will also show much of the upcoming CG Insurance Super50 Cup which starts next Sunday, 7th February.”
Viewers in England will also view a packed schedule of exciting international cricket from the West Indies in 2021 on its sport channels and across its digital platforms, starting with Sri Lanka, who they face across all formats in March before the tours to the Caribbean by South Africa, Australia and Pakistan over the course of June, July and August.
Cricket West Indies CEO, Johnny Grave, said Caribbean fans living in the UK as well as UK cricket fans who will be able to watch the matches live would eagerly anticipate the Richards-Botham 2022 Test Series.
He added, “West Indies home series are the second most watched cricket in the UK after England’s home matches, and this agreement ensures that the best action from the Caribbean will be broadcast in an extremely important sports and tourism market for the region.”
Rachel Knight, Rights Director, BT Sport said:
“We want to provide customers with the best sport from across the globe, so we are delighted to add the England men’s and women’s cricket teams to our line up. In addition to some hugely important and enticing Test and T20 International matches over the next 18 months, the new rights in New Zealand and West Indies will see the world’s top cricketers regularly on BT Sport.”
