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India vs England 2020-21: Broadcast rights in UK remain undecided

India will be taking on England from February 5. The tour would involve four Tests, three One-Day Internationals and five Twenty20 Internationals. While Star Sports is the official broadcaster in India, the United Kingdom's rights are still uncertain.

India vs England 2020-21: Broadcast rights in UK remain undecided-ayh
Author
London, First Published Jan 28, 2021, 6:17 PM IST

India and England get set to lock horns in a four-Test series, for the Anthony de Mello Trophy, defended by the former, from February 5. The tour would also consist of five Twenty20 Internationals and three One-Day Internationals.

The series would be of great interest, as viewers worldwide, especially in India and England, would be glued to their television screens. While Start Sports would air the matches in India, the same rights in the United Kingdom are yet to be decided.

Star is expecting to stream the matches in the UK through Hotstar, instead of selling customary broadcaster rights. However, India's recent success in Australia has generated enough viewership on Sky Sports, while Channel 4, too, expresses interest in purchasing the rights and reports The Telegraph.

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The rights are valued £20 million and would be finalised in the coming days, with Sky and BT Sports being the rime contenders. However, viewers in the UK would expect Channel 4 to bag the rights since it happens to be a free-to-air channel.

Meanwhile, there are also reports that Star would look to retain the rights exclusively and sell it on Hotstar, leading to more subscription. Also, it is possible that Star could enter a dual deal, of Hotstar, along with a terrestrial partner.

Full schedule
February 5-9: 1st Test (Chennai)
February 13-17: 2nd Test (Chennai)
February 24-28: 3rd D/N Test (Ahmedabad)
March 4-8: 4th Test (Ahmedabad)
March 12: 1st T20I (Ahmedabad)
March 14: 2nd T20I (Ahmedabad)
March 16: 3rd T20I (Ahmedabad)
March 18: 4th T20I (Ahmedabad)
March 20: 5th T20I (Ahmedabad)
March 23: 1st ODI (Pune)
March 26: 2nd ODI (Pune)
March 28: 3rd ODI (Pune)

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