Ashes cricket to return to free-to-air - but with Sky?

Could Sky keep TV rights to the Ashes despite 'Crown Jewels' ruling?

With Ashes cricket set to return to free-to-air television as part of UK sports' "crown jewels," Paddy Power have opened a market on who will broadcast the 2016 Ashes.

BBC are the 13/8 favourites despite not showing live cricket for several years now, with Channel 4, the last terrestrial channel to show live Ashes cricket in 2005, 2/1 to regain the rights.

But with the terminology specifically phrasing the rights as 'free-to-air' rather than just terrestrial, Paddy Power offer 7/4 on current rights holder Sky winning the rights.

Paddy Power spokesman Darren Haines said: "Should the current home of cricket on television choose to turn off their encryption and offer a free Ashes service in order to protect their domination of the cricket market it could make them an interesting player in what could be a heated race."

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