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ITV close to securing Ashes highlights

ITV are understood to be close to signing a deal with Cricket Australia to show daily highlights of England's Ashes campaign

ESPNcricinfo staff
04-Nov-2010
ITV are understood to be close to signing a deal with Cricket Australia to show daily highlights of England's Ashes campaign, as they aim to build on a successful first foray into the cricket market following their exclusive UK coverage of this year's Indian Premier League.
According to The Guardian, no deal has yet been signed, although talks are believed to be at an advanced stage with IMG (who handle the Australian board's TV rights) for a 60-minute highlights package on ITV4 at 10pm on each day of the five-Test series, which gets underway at Brisbane on November 25.
The ITV digital channel, which is available on Freeview in the UK, has never yet broadcast Test cricket. However, it did attract audiences of more than 500,000 for some matches of this year's IPL. In addition, the channel would show highlights of England's seven one-day and two Twenty20 internationals against Australia in January and February.
Sky Sports has exclusive UK live TV rights to all matches of England's tour of Australia, and if the deal goes ahead, the ITV4 highlights would be broadcast shortly before Sky's live coverage of the following day's play gets underway. ITV has so far declined to comment.