Sky Sports and Cricket South Africa have agreed an extension to their long-running broadcast partnership, securing exclusive coverage of a busy programme of men’s and women’s international cricket in South Africa during the 2026/27 season.
Share this article with someone via Whatsapp:
The agreement means Sky Sports and NOW will show live coverage of England Men’s tour of South Africa this winter, including a three-Test series followed by three ODIs.
The Test series begins in December and will be England’s first Test tour of South Africa in seven years. The three matches will also mark the first series in charge for Stephen Fleming, who has taken over as England Men’s Test head coach.
England’s South Africa tour dates
England’s Test campaign gets underway in Johannesburg on 17 December, before the second Test at Centurion begins on Boxing Day.
The final Test will be played in Cape Town from 3 January, with the three-match ODI series following in January.
The ODI fixtures are scheduled for Paarl and Bloemfontein as England continue preparations for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, which will be staged across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October and November 2027.
England tour of South Africa 2026/27
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 17 December 2026 | 1st Test | Johannesburg |
| 26 December 2026 | 2nd Test | Centurion |
| 3 January 2027 | 3rd Test | Cape Town |
| 10 January 2027 | 1st ODI | Paarl |
| 13 January 2027 | 2nd ODI | Bloemfontein |
| 15 January 2027 | 3rd ODI | Bloemfontein |
The England series follows a landmark home summer in which England recorded their first Test series whitewash against Pakistan.
Sky Sports to show packed South Africa cricket schedule
England are just one part of an extensive international schedule covered by the new agreement.
Australia’s men’s tour of South Africa begins on 24 September, with the first of three ODIs taking place in Durban. That series will be followed by three Tests.
The schedule then continues with tours involving Bangladesh, India Women and Australia Women, with international cricket from South Africa available on Sky Sports and NOW through to April 2027.
The broadcast rights agreement was negotiated by IMG, Cricket South Africa’s international media rights partner.
Bangladesh tour of South Africa
Bangladesh’s 2026/27 tour includes Tests, ODIs and T20 internationals.
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 15 November 2026 | 1st Test | Johannesburg |
| 23 November 2026 | 2nd Test | Centurion |
| 1 December 2026 | 1st ODI | East London |
| 4 December 2026 | 2nd ODI | Gqeberha |
| 7 December 2026 | 3rd ODI | Cape Town |
| 10 December 2026 | 1st T20I | Kimberley |
| 12 December 2026 | 2nd T20I | Benoni |
| 13 December 2026 | 3rd T20I | Centurion |
India Women and Australia Women also feature
The partnership also brings a substantial women’s international programme to Sky Sports.
India Women will tour South Africa in December, playing three ODIs, a Test and three T20 internationals.
India Women tour of South Africa 2026/27
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 9 December 2026 | 1st ODI | Potchefstroom |
| 12 December 2026 | 2nd ODI | Bloemfontein |
| 15 December 2026 | 3rd ODI | Cape Town |
| 20 December 2026 | Only Test | Gqeberha |
| 26 December 2026 | 1st T20I | Benoni |
| 29 December 2026 | 2nd T20I | Potchefstroom |
| 30 December 2026 | 3rd T20I | Potchefstroom |
Australia Women will then visit South Africa in March and April 2027 for a three-match T20I series, three ODIs and a Test.
Australia Women tour of South Africa 2026/27
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 18 March 2027 | 1st T20I | Kimberley |
| 21 March 2027 | 2nd T20I | Benoni |
| 23 March 2027 | 3rd T20I | KuGompo City |
| 27 March 2027 | 1st ODI | Gqeberha |
| 31 March 2027 | 2nd ODI | Paarl |
| 3 April 2027 | 3rd ODI | Durban |
| 8 April 2027 | Only Test | Potchefstroom |
Sky Sports continues long association with South African cricket
Sky Sports has been broadcasting cricket from South Africa for more than 30 years, including every England men’s Test series played in the country during that period.
The extended agreement further adds to Sky Sports’ extensive cricket offering in the UK and Ireland.
The broadcaster holds the rights to England men’s and women’s home internationals and domestic cricket, while the Men’s Ashes in England next summer is among the major events on the upcoming schedule.
Sky Sports’ wider sports portfolio also includes coverage of the Premier League, Women’s Super League, EFL and SPFL, Formula 1, golf’s Majors, darts, boxing, tennis, the US Open, NFL, Netball Super League and rugby league.
For cricket supporters, however, the new Cricket South Africa agreement provides a particularly substantial run of international fixtures, beginning with Australia’s men’s tour and continuing through England’s Test and ODI campaign before concluding with Australia Women’s visit in April 2027.
Want more TV previews, entertainment news & lifestyle reviews? Subscribe for free:
Discover where to stream the best TV shows and movies. Get fresh entertainment news, streaming guides, and real-life pop culture experiences at WhereToWatch.tv.
Share this post with someone you think would like it…