The Sport Thread

Am seeing conflicting reports that the whole 2020-4 package details less this new competition will be offered next month with an aim of concluding agreement before the 2017 season concludes. Splintering still on the table too. Remember the next Ashes tournament in Australia is on BT Sport this year. I suspect Sky will be desparate to renew to blood BT's nose just as this starts. We'lll see.

When you say splintering, does this mean the possibility of the Natwest T20 Blast being offered separately from the 50 over tournament? Or the ODIs in England being offered separate to the tests?

Yes.... The detail will be interesting.

Personally I see two packs. 1. England ECB matches and 2. County matches. See Sky retaining the first but a competition for the second, but eventually remaining with Sky. I doubt the merits of going for any more granularity, as the sport's current popularity, or lack of, would endup with the sum of the bits value probably not making that of the whole.

BT could push hard for the second, as it'd come in handy for the May - August months where content is sparse.

I really do think when it comes to making some live cricket free to air it has to be The Ashes or nothing really - it is the premium product which should be made available to the widest audience, and The Ashes is the only event in cricket a mass audience will get behind. A new T20 tournament is pretty much the equivalent of all football (including the World Cup/Euros) being on Sky/BT but the Johnstones Paint Trophy being free to air.

I know reading the press with those experts and those in the know (and Charlie Sale) but, I see a premier league multi-pack style deal in an attempt to spread it around a bit more...

1. Exclusive live home England test/One day/T20 international's (Sky will get this. Move along nothing to see here)

2. FTA highlights of the above (prob a Channel 5 retain)

3. Live County Championship, Royal London 50 Ovs, T20 Bash (prob Sky)

4 City based T20 Pay tv Live rights.

5 City based T20 FTA selected live and highlights (and maybe the domestic 50over and T20 Bash highlights of these may be thrown in to gain some extra interest)

I'd say to maximise revenue they need to mix internationals with the county and city games, so split probably by format rather than the level might achieve that. The problem cricket has now is the domestic game hasn't been free to air for 15 years by the time these rights start so although T20 may be the star attraction in other countries it isn't necessarily here. The ECB a good decade behind the game as well when it comes to T20 - difficult to see this as a premium product versus the IPL and Big Bash.

How about the Test matches and FTA live rights for the city T20 competition, being FTA only, possibly with some of the domestic 50 overs? There's all sorts of scenarios, mixes.

Hazel Irvine to leave BBC Golf presentation after 2017 Masters; will be replaced by Eilidh Barbour.

Hazel to continue with snooker and major events.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/39428333

No replay wipes tonight, on Sky Sports coverage of the European Challenge cup rugby 1/4 final, between Edinburgh and La Rochelle. All other graphics working fine.

Coverage of the Boat Race today could be interesting if it's affected by this... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-39466503

Due to live events on both Eurosport 1 and 2, the evening session (afternoon UK time) of the China OPen final is on Quest. I think this must be the first time that Quest has shown snooker but not simulcast on Eurosport.

Which always generates loads of tweets to Eurosport asking where it is. I assume they have pointed viewers to Quest as they are normally quite good at that sort of thing but there are lots of stupid people out there.