The BBC and ATP have extended to their broadcast deal for the Nitto ATP Finals in a move which keeps it on BBC channels until 2020.

The deal covers exclusive free-to-air TV rights for eight singles matches, including a semi-final and the final, and includes the right to stream these matches across the BBC’s online platforms, as well as non-exclusive radio rights for the whole tournament.

It also includes non-exclusive radio rights to all ATP World Tour Masters 1000 matches.

The Nitto ATP Finals is the climax to the men’s professional season, featuring the best eight qualified singles players and doubles teams battling it out for the last title of the season.

2016 saw Andy Murray seal a fairytale end to the year as he defeated Novak Djokovic to win his first Nitto ATP Finals title and end the year as the world number one.

BBC Director of Sport, Barbara Slater, said: “We’re thrilled to extend our partnership with ATP ensuring top class tennis continues to reach the widest possible audience on free to air TV, radio and our live streaming service.”

Chris Kermode, ATP Executive Chairman and President, added: “The BBC has provided a terrific platform for our season finale since we moved the tournament to London in 2009, giving millions of fans in the UK the opportunity to watch the very best in men’s professional tennis.

“We’re delighted to extend our partnership a further two years through to 2020.”

The Caribbean Premier League is returning to BT Sport after a one year absence, bolstering the channel’s cricket coverage ahead of its first ever Ashes season.

BT showed the league in both 2014 and 2015 before it moved to UKTV’s free to air channel Dave last year.

Coverage of this year’s season, which begins on August 4 and will run until September 9, will see the Jamaica Tallawahs attempt to defend their title against Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, St. Lucia Stars and Trinbago Knight Riders.

All 34 matches will be shown live on BT Sport with games taking place in St Lucia, St Kitts & Nevis, Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago, with some matches also taking place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the second successive year.

Damien O’Donohoe, Chief Executive Officer of the Hero CPL said: “We are delighted to have BT Sport as our broadcast partner in the UK.

“Their commitment to the broadcasting of high quality cricket is evident and it is great that cricket fans in the UK will be able to watch some amazing cricket played in the unique carnival atmosphere of the Caribbean.”

The CPL will sit alongside BT’s 5 year deal with Cricket Australia which gives it exclusive rights to all Australian Test Matches, One Day Internationals and T20 Internationals played in Australia, including the 2017/18 Ashes.

 

Simon Green, head of BT Sport, said: “We are looking forward to bringing fans coverage of the Hero Caribbean Premier League – with some of the most exciting action in this form of the game.

“The tournament complements a fantastic month on our channels and is another step toward our build up to this winter’s Ashes series in Australia.”

Sky has seen off a what was thought to be a determined challenge from rival BT to retain the pay-TV rights to English cricket until 2024.

The firm has emerged as the victor in the England & Wales Cricket Board’s auction of TV rights and secured live coverage of international and county cricket from 2020, including every match from the new T20 competition.

However for the first time since 2005 it will have to share TV rights with another broadcaster after the ECB decided to reserve some games for a Free To Air package which has been won by the BBC.

The BBC’s coverage will include two England men’s international T20 matches, one England women’s T20 international, 10 men’s matches from the ECB’s New T20 competition and up to eight matches from the women’s T20 tournament including both finals.

Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport, said: “This will lead to a step change in the BBC’s coverage of cricket across TV, radio and digital platforms.

“We are extremely excited about what we have to offer by taking cricket to the widest possible audience and inspiring the next generation to pick up bat and ball.”

The game’s return to subscription free TV will help boost its profile after concerns that the sport had suffered from being stranded behind a paywall in recent years.

Sky’s current deal with the ECB runs until 2020 and its new contract means it’ll be the main home of English cricket for the next seven years.

 

However BT’s deal with the Australian cricket authorities means it will miss out on showing the next Ashes.

The satellite broadcaster says it’ll work with the BBC and ECB “to develop a new participation and engagement approach to help deliver the ECB’s ambitions to grow the game at all levels.”
Barney Francis, Managing Director of Sky Sports, said: “This is a ground-breaking agreement that represents a new and exciting approach to sports rights in this country.

“It extends our partnership with the game into a third decade and will see us work with the ECB to excite and engage cricket fans of all ages.

“We will continue to innovate in our coverage and make it accessible across our channels, products and services.

“And drawing on our experience of getting millions on their bikes with our successful 8-year Sky Ride initiative, we are committed to working with the ECB to help grow the game at all levels.”

BoxNation has confirmed that TalkTalk customers will be excluded from its tie-up with BT Sports, meaning the platform’s customers won’t get free access to boxing channel.

Late last year BT and boxing promotor Frank Warren announced the channel would join the BT Sports pack on BT TV and Sky, with the ISP’s customers getting access to live boxing as part of their subscription for the first time.

Warren recently revealed that Terry Flanagan’s WBO World Lightweight Championship defence against Russia’s Petr Petrov will be the first contest shown under the tie-up and announced the signing of Olympic Gold Medallist Nicola Adams who will make her professional debut at Manchester Arena on Saturday April 8th

In December SEENIT revealed the deal excludes Virgin Media which has separate wholesale deals with BT Sport and BoxNation and charges customers for the channels on their standard cable bill.

 

That news came as a disappointment to many of the cable firm’s customers who’ve seen bills rise following Virgin’s decision to bundle BT Sports into its top tier channel package.

Now the boxing channel has confirmed that TalkTalk customers, who can add BT Sports to their packages, will also be excluded from the tie-up and must continue to pay a separate £12 per month to subscribe to BoxNation.

In addition, while BT TV customers will get access to both standard and high definition versions of BoxNation, customers who pay for BT Sports on Sky will only get access to an SD version.

“The only way to watch BoxNation in HD on the Sky platform is with a BoxNation subscription,” says the channel’s recently updated FAQ.

The news means that only BT TV customers will receive both HD and SD versions of the channels without paying an extra subscription.

BoxNation joins the BT TV platform and BT Sports pack on Sky from March 1st.