TNT planning for hybrid commentary ahead of the Ashes series as they look to enlist cycling and rugby commentators for UK Ashes coverage.
TNT turn to cycling and rugby commentators for UK Ashes coverage.
In a unique hybrid commentary format, TNT Sports will use rugby union and cycling experts to headline their coverage of the Ashes from the UK. A group of commentators from Australia will also be involved.
The 2021–22 Ashes was likewise televised by the subscription broadcaster, BT Sport, however this time it mostly depended on Fox Sports’ globe feed, with a studio team in the UK providing additional coverage. This time, TNT regulars Rob Hatch and Alastair Eykyn will provide commentary from home, while Alastair Cook, Steven Finn, and Graeme Swann will serve as on-site commentators in Australia.
For the course of the season, TNT will also deploy presenter Becky Ives to Australia, and Ebony Rainford-Brent will join their commentary team from the UK. The Edge, a review show that airs in primetime following every Test, and daily highlights shows will also be part of their coverage.
Scott Young, executive vice president at Warner Bros Discovery Sports Europe (which owns TNT), said that Eykyn and Hatch are “huge cricket fans” despite their limited professional experience in the sport. “They will not try to pretend they are part of cricket history,” Young said. “They are great commentators in their own right… who can really drive a narrative.”
“The Ashes is a step above that. TNT Sports is a step above that… Nothing against the world feed, which will be a great production. But we needed to talk about what the Ashes meant to our audience, to TNT Sports.
“That’s why we’re bringing many of our sports broadcasters into the fold. It’s about bringing the football, rugby, even fight-sports fan-base, and making them aware of the Ashes as a moment in time. This is not just a cricket Test, it’s the Ashes. If we can get people who are not normally going to watch cricket for a day or a Test, then that’s very much part of the TNT Sports ethos.”