Channel 4 to show Cricket World Cup final free-to-air in UK

UK commercial broadcaster Channel 4 has reached a partnership deal with pay-television broadcaster Sky Sports for the Cricket World Cup final that means Sunday’s match between England and New Zealand will be shown free-to-air in the UK.

The partnership was signed on Thursday following England’s semi-final victory over Australia. Under the agreement, the match will air on Channel 4’s main terrestrial channel as well as its specialist digital terrestrial channel, More 4.

Rights-holder Sky Sports will show the final on its basic-tier Sky One channel. Channel 4 will be carrying Sky’s coverage of the match.

Channel 4’s broadcast of the Cricket World Cup final will begin at 9am UK time before moving to More4 from 1:15pm to accommodate coverage of Formula One’s British Grand Prix. Once the race has finished, cricket coverage will resume on Channel 4.

Sky announced last week that it would broadcast the match on free-to-air television if England qualified.

Sky holds rights to the Cricket World Cup under a wide-ranging, eight-year deal with the International Cricket Council (ICC). Channel 4 has been broadcasting highlights of this year’s tournament, with public-service broadcaster the BBC holding online clip rights.