Spark Sport Lands Six-Year Deal For Rights To NZ Cricket

Spark Sport won the domestic rights to broadcast New Zealand cricket for six years. Sky Sport currently holds the rights for all domestic cricket until April, when Spark Sport will become the "official rights partner" for all cricket matches played in NZ. All Black Caps and White Ferns games, all men's and women's Super Smash games and the Ford Trophy one-day final will be streamed on the Spark platform. The announcement had an "immediate impact" on Sky's share price, which has fallen almost 60% over the past year. When Sky NZ CEO Martin Stewart took over the network, he said that it needed to re-establish itself as the "home of sport," so "this is another blow to that strategy" (STUFF, 10/10).