World Cup final free to air in UK if hosts play

LEEDS: Sky TV has agreed to show the cricket World Cup final on its free-to-air channels if

England

make it to the title game, according to reports in the British media on Friday. The broadcaster has been under pressure to boost flagging viewership for cricket's marquee event.


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A top Sky TV official was quoted as saying, "Our aim has always been to celebrate what could be a 'once-in-a-generation' moment of a home team in a big final on home soil. So, if England reach the final, we will make the match available to everyone so the whole country can be part of a rare and special big sporting moment."

While TV audiences in India and most of the other World Cup participating countries are enjoying Cup coverage through their regular broadcasters, viewers in the host country are largely deprived of the action. Live

cricket

is being shown on a pay channel for which one has to fork out £25 to £30 per month. Around 11.7 million watched England's semifinal defeat to US in the Women's World Cup football recently. Compared to that, the cricket event has had very modest figures.

Other than the ICC and rest of the stakeholders, England cricketers too were perturbed over the figures. Other than the pride of being seen by a big number of fans, live footage is also about player branding and promotion in this age of marketing. No surprise then that Liam Plunkett, member of the English World Cup squad, had added his voice to those who have been demanding the telecast to be made free to air.

Plunkett told BBC 5 Live: "We feel like we've built something special here as a team. It would be nice to go all the way and to have big numbers watching that final if we get through and win."

The pressure has, apparently, worked.

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