Sky Sports Pulls Out, South Africa vs England Test Series Struggles to Find Broadcasters

The much-awaited Test series in South Africa, which England cricket fans eagerly awaited, is now under threat. Cricket South Africa does not have any broadcaster from the UK for Broadcaster the matches. Sky Sports, which broadcasted these games for more than three decades, has declined to do so in future.

According to reports by The Guardian, CSA is trying to find a broadcaster, but no agreement has yet been reached. Interestingly, the tour of South Africa by England always enjoys good viewer ratings. The previous time, England visited South Africa six years ago and defeated their opponents 3-0.

England will play three Tests in South Africa around Christmas, followed by three ODIs in January. However, lack of broadcasting rights poses a significant challenge to the tour of South Africa. 

The decision made by Sky Sports was not unexpected, especially with their shift towards ICC events and other sports played in the United Kingdom. Moreover, there are several tournaments taking place in the festive season, including Premier League, English Football League, and PDC World Darts Championship.

While TNT Sports has shown interest, they do not seem ready to bid a significant amount at the moment. This is not an isolated case, as it highlights the decline in interest for regular cricket series. The same problem is also affecting Cricket Australia.

Another reason for the problem lies with the schedule. The proposed schedule for the series falls between December 17 and January 7, which is the busiest month in the United Kingdom for sporting events.

England Test Tour of South Africa (2026-27)

Date	Match	Venue	Time (IST)	Local Time
Dec 17, 2026	1st Test	Johannesburg, Wanderers Stadium	1:30 PM	10:00 AM
Dec 26, 2026	2nd Test	Centurion, SuperSport Park	1:30 PM	10:00 AM
Jan 03, 2027	3rd Test	Johannesburg, Wanderers Stadium	2:00 PM	10:30 AM

England ODI Tour of South Africa (2027)

 

Date	Match	Venue	Time (IST)	Local Time
Jan 10, 2027	1st ODI	Paarl, Boland Park	1:30 PM	10:00 AM
Jan 13, 2027	2nd ODI	Bloemfontein, Mangaung Oval	5:00 PM	1:30 PM
Jan 15, 2027	3rd ODI	Bloemfontein, Mangaung Oval	1:30 PM	10:00 AM