Channel 4 wins rights for England's Test cricket tour of India

Channel 4 have won the rights to show England's series in India in a groundbreaking deal that means Test cricket will return to terrestrial television in the UK for the first time since the 2005 Ashes.

Channel 4 analyst Simon Hughes during the broadcast of the fifth Ashes Test in 2005. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

The Guardian understands that global rights holders Star Sports and Channel 4 have agreed a contract for the live broadcast of the entire tour - four Tests, five Twenty20s and three one-day internationals - with an announcement due soon before the first Test in Chennai on Friday.

The deal represents a huge coup for Channel 4, who submitted their bid to Star Sports last week - one described as "compelling" by insiders - but still feared being gazumped by a late move from Sky or BT Sport.

This did not materialise, however, although one of the two subscription broadcasters could still come on board in some capacity, with the Star-Channel 4 deal said to be agreed on a non-exclusive basis that allows additional satellite and digital partners.

Channel 4 are confident that while three of the four Test matches start at 4am in the UK - the third Test is a day-night match with a 9am start - the national lockdown could mean big audience numbers generated by England and India supporters, as well as potential newcomers to the sport.

While they last showed Test cricket in 2005, a one-off deal with Sky in 2019 led to the World Cup final being shared with Channel 4 attracting 15.4 million viewers over the course of the day. Subsequent research by the England and Wales Cricket Board suggested a third of this audience was watching cricket for the first time.

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