ECB handed lifeline in ‘crown jewels’ row 08/12/2009 |
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The England & Wales Cricket Board has welcomed a decision by culture secretary Ben Bradshaw to look into the economic impact of adding certain sporting events to the ‘crown jewels’ free-to-air broadcasting list.
The ECB was left fuming by a recommendation from a panel led by former Football Association executive director David Davies that the Ashes should be included on the list.
English cricket’s governing body argues that the sport would lose up to £140m in revenue from its lucrative contract with pay-TV broadcaster Sky that would otherwise be invested in the grassroots of the game.
But Bradshaw said his final decision would take into account “the impact of listing an event upon the finances of a sporting body and any strategic direction that body has publicly expressed”.
The Government has given the ECB until March 5 to restate its case, after which date Bradshaw will deliver his final conclusions.
An ECB spokesman said: “We are extremely pleased the secretary of state remained open-minded about his final decision and that he has not ‘reached any concluded views’ on what the ECB view as a poorly researched and incomplete report from the advisory panel.”
However, a consultation document released by Bradshaw’s department added: “Broadcasting to a wider free-to-air audience may also bring with it additional financial benefits.
“The secretary of state has therefore provisionally concluded that it is unlikely to be sufficient to point simply to substantial decreases in net revenue – particularly where such decreases may be of a transitory nature or are capable of being addressed by a well-balanced commercial strategy.”
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