UK pay-TV broadcaster TNT Sports has secured exclusive live broadcast rights for the 2026-27 Australian home cricket season, adding 16 international matches across men’s and women’s series to its portfolio. Sister free-to-air broadcaster 5 will air exclusive highlights for next month’s limited-overs fixtures between Australia and England.
Broadcasting Rights Expansion for TNT Sports
Skydance-owned TNT Sports announced short-term tie-ups with the Cricket Australia governing body, locking down coverage for the upcoming international summer. This follows TNT Sports’ live coverage of the 2025-26 Ashes series between Australia and England, maintaining a broadcasting relationship that has covered every Ashes since 2017-18.
The newly acquired package comprises 16 live fixtures. This lineup features nine matches between Australia and England, split between eight limited-overs games scheduled for November and early December, alongside a historic test match in Melbourne in mid-March to mark the 150th anniversary of cricket’s first-ever test.
5 Highlights and Fixture Breakdown
Complementing the live pay-TV coverage, free-to-air broadcaster 5—also owned by Skydance following the completion of its WBD takeover earlier this month—will broadcast exclusive highlights packages. These programs will cover the upcoming limited-overs series consisting of three one-day internationals and five Twenty20 fixtures.
Beyond the Ashes fixtures, the broadcast schedule incorporates seven matches against New Zealand. That slate includes four men’s test matches and three women’s one-day internationals.
Competitive Landscape in UK Cricket Broadcasting
With this acquisition, TNT Sports bolsters an upcoming cricket rights portfolio that already encompasses home fixtures for New Zealand and India over the next few months. The network positions its cricket offerings alongside major properties including soccer’s English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, the Olympic Games through 2032, Prem Rugby, MotoGP, and Grand Slam tennis.
Meanwhile, traditional pay-TV rival Sky does not cover as much overseas cricket as it used to, though it retains rights for England’s upcoming tour of South Africa. Other recent series, such as the two-test home series between Australia and Bangladesh that concluded in a 1-1 draw, aired in the UK via subscription platform DAZN.
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