BT Sport to screen next Ashes: Broadcaster wins rights to Australian cricket for five years

The next Ashes, held in 2017-18, will be shown on BT Sport after the broadcaster won the rights to screen all Australian cricket over the next five years. The deal, including England's defence of the Ashes against Australia, means BT Sport will also show all Australian Test Matches, One Day Internationals and T20 Internationals played in Australia, including the five-match Ashes Test Series against rivals England in 2017-18.

Alongside the 210 days of international Australian cricket to be shown, series against other leading cricketing nations including New Zealand, South Africa, India and Pakistan will be broadcast on BT Sport. The rights also include 35 KFC-sponsored Big Bash League matches, which see international stars flocking down under, including South African legend Jacques Kallis and former England international Kevin Pietersen. BT Sport will also show the women's Ashes and the women's T20 Big Bash League.

The deal with Cricket Australia follows BT Sport's broadcasting of the annual Caribbean Premier League T20 cricket tournament. The summer tournament featured some of the world's biggest cricket stars, such as West Indies captain Chris Gayle.

Delia Bushell, managing director of BT TV and BT Sport, said: "BT Sport is delighted to be adding international cricket to its line-up and to be the new home of the next Ashes tour in Australia. We will show live domestic games featuring the best players in the world during the Big Bash League and all Australian home matches for the next five years."

Cricket Australia executive general manager of media, communications and marketing Ben Amarfio said the agreement signalled a new era in Australian cricket broadcasting. "We are delighted to be entering into this important new partnership with BT Sport," he said. "BT Sport put forward a highly compelling bid for the rights to broadcast cricket from Australia to audiences throughout the United Kingdom."