Sky partners with Channel 4 to share Cricket World Cup final with the nation
Friday 12 July 2019 06:13, UK
Sky will partner with Channel 4 to make England's bid to lift the Cricket World Cup available for the whole of the UK to watch.
England overcame Australia at Edgbaston to secure a final place against New Zealand at Lord's on Sunday 14 July. It is the first final England have reached on home soil since 1979 and Sky Sports' coverage of the match will be available free to air via Channel 4.
Viewers will be able to enjoy Sky Sports' coverage from 9am as England try to lift the Cricket World Cup for the first time. Coverage will move to More4 from 1.15pm when the F1 British Grand Prix takes place, reverting to Channel 4 after the race has finished. Live coverage from Lord's will also be available on Sky One.
Sky UK and Ireland Chief Executive Stephen van Rooyen said: "England in the final on home soil is a huge moment for sport in this country and we are proud to be the host broadcaster.
"Thanks to our strong relationship with Channel 4, we are partnering to make the game available to everyone, so the whole country can get behind England, and be part of a special national sporting event."
Channel 4 Chief Executive Alex Mahon said: "This is fantastic news for cricket fans and the nation.
"This Sunday is a massive day for British sport with England tantalisingly close to lifting the Cricket World Cup for the first time and Lewis Hamilton setting his sights on his seventh win of the season at Silverstone - all live on Channel 4.
"The big winners of the strong partnership between Channel 4 and Sky are sports fans and viewers who want to come together for these big sporting occasions."
Sunday's final is a focal point of a huge summer for cricket, the Women's Ashes has just begun and the Men's Ashes kicks off next month. Both series are being shown in UHD, available through Sky Q.
Sky's cricket coverage began in 1989 with the first ever ball-by-ball coverage of an overseas tour of West Indies. Over three decades Sky Sports has developed increasingly innovative and engaging coverage and invested more than £2bn in the sport helping drive better facilities, coaching and central contracts across the men's and women's game. Sunday will be the eighth Cricket World Cup final broadcast on Sky Sports.
Next year Sky takes on an even closer role as a partner with the ECB in driving participation, using its knowledge and resources to make a difference in cricket and drive further change. Sky will aim to use the experience in cycling participation working with British Cycling, an eight-year partnership that saw 1.7m people get back on their bikes.
The ICC Cricket World Cup final is part of a bumper day on Sky Sports channels that will also include the British Grand Prix, Scottish Open golf and England in action from the Netball World Cup in Liverpool. Viewers without a Sky subscription can watch all this and more from just £8.99 for a day pass with NOW TV.
I am a Sky Subscriber, where can I watch?
You can watch the match as you normally would, live on Sky Sports Cricket World Cup or Sky Sports Main Event. Remember, you can also watch the match if you are out and about and not at home, via the Sky Sports App and on Sky Go.
Sky Sports Cricket will come on air at 9am on Sunday morning with Ian Ward, Nasser Hussain, Mike Atherton and the rest of the team live pitch-side at Lord's.
And after the World Cup is over, there's plenty more cricket for you to enjoy. We've still got the conclusion of the Women's Ashes to come as well as the men's Ashes, the Vitality Blast, the Natwest T20 Blast and much more in 2019.
Can I watch the game even if I am not a Sky subscriber?
Yes. You can watch the match live on Channel 4. The full Sky coverage will be available on Channel 4 from 9am.
At 1.15pm Channel 4 will broadcast the 2019 British Grand Prix, which means you will need to switch over to More4, until around 4.30pm, when the conclusion of the World Cup final will be back.
Why is Sky not showing the game exclusively live?
Because England have reached the final, we want to make this a match that is available to everyone so the whole country can be part of a rare and special big sporting moment.
Should England go on to win their first ever 50-over World Cup, and here in England no less, we want as many people as possible to celebrate what could be a 'once in a generation' moment.
