The Ashes TV coverage UK: How to watch Australia v England cricket
Your guide to The Ashes TV coverage including which channels will be showing all the drama from Down Under as England face Australia.
The Ashes fifth Test will go ahead this week as England scramble to salvage any kind of pride before the long trip home.
The visitors have endured a chastening trip Down Under with Australia in control since the very first ball of the series.
However, there were some shards of hope from the fourth Test match as England clung on to secure a draw. It may not be a matter of lasting celebration given they are already 3-0 down in the five-Test series, but it does suggest the final Test could be an intriguing watch.
The Ashes will be played in Hobart, Tasmania for the first time ever in the fifth Test after it was moved from Perth due to COVID restrictions. It will be a day-night match in conditions that England will hope resemble an environment closer to home.
Fans in the UK will continue to stick out the late nights and early mornings to catch a glimpse of the biggest cricket event since the pre-COVID days, but they will be desperate to be rewarded with a brighter showing from their boys Down Under.
RadioTimes.com has rounded up everything you need to know about how to watch The Ashes TV coverage in the UK.
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What TV channel is The Ashes on?
Coverage of the fourth Test will take place exclusively live on BT Sport 1 from 3am UK time on Friday 14th January 2022 with play starting from 4am.
BT won the rights to broadcast Australian cricket internationals until 2025, which will feature four England tours over the next four years, including the Women's Ashes series in 2022.
There are multiple ways to get BT Sport. If you already have BT Broadband, you can add BT TV and Sport to your existing contract from just £15 per month. You can add the ‘Big Sport’ package for £40 per month, which includes all BT Sport and 11 Sky Sports channels via a NOW pass.
You can watch The Ashes with a BT Sport monthly pass without signing up to a contract.
Regular subscribers can also stream matches via the BT Sport website or BT Sport app on a variety of devices including laptops, smartphones and tablets.
When is The Ashes 2021?
The Ashes 2021 take place between 8th December 2021 and 18th January 2022.
The six-week series will go ahead in full, despite a year of fears over whether Australian COVID restrictions would allow the spectacle to take place.
Check out The Ashes schedule – complete with UK start times for all the Test matches.
The Ashes 2021 schedule
First Test
Date: 8th - 12th December 2021
Venue: The Gabba, Brisbane
Second Test
Date: 16th - 20th December 2021
Venue: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Third Test
Date: 26th - 30th December 2021
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Fourth Test
Date: 5th - 9th January 2022
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Fifth Test
Date: 14th - 18th January 2022
Venue: Blundstone Arena, Hobart
Who won The Ashes last time?
Australia are the current holders of The Ashes following a 2-2 draw during their tour of England in 2019.
The visitors were led by heroics from Steve Smith who racked up an outrageous total of 774 runs across the five matches.
However, the series will always be remembered for one of the most spectacular Test innings of all time as Ben Stokes clung on to strike 135 not out and win the match as the last man standing in the third Test at Headingley.
If you’re looking for something else to watch check out our TV Guide or visit our Sport hub for all the latest news.
Authors
Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.
