Sky Sports is rolling out new features for viewers of its Ashes cricket coverage that will offer far more statistics and coverage options than they can currently access.
Designed as a “second-screen cricket experience”, the new ‘Ashes Event Center’ allows viewers to watch all the games, ball-by-ball, either on a desktop or a mobile device. The app is available to download now and is being used for the first time for the coverage of the Investec Ashes 2013.
As well as providing non-stop footage of the match in progress (it also offers a timeline feature, allowing you to step back in time if you missed a bit, or just wanted to rewatch or jump to a key part) the Ashes Event Center also provides a wealth of statistics – in fact, the same statistics as the commentators have in their box.
“The Ashes series is a key part of our biggest ever summer of live sport and we are giving Sky Sports customers the ultimate Ashes experience,” David Gibbs, Director of Sky Sports Digital Media, said. “It’s the first time we’ve offered a dedicated second screen experience for our cricket coverage and it’s another example of our investment in the Sky Sports viewer’s experience.”
The app also offers a ‘Hawk-Eye’ feature allowing users to review every ball virtually with the same analysis tools, that’s right, as the presenters.
The Ashes app, which is a part of the larger Sky Sports app, is available on the iPad for free for Sky Sports subscribers or can be yours for £4.99 if you’re a non-subscriber through in app-purchases. While the app is only available on iOS, if you’re a cricket fan but don’t have an iPad all the extra Ashes options are available to subscribers via the Sky website.
Sky’s relentless focus on upping its sports programming game – and therefore all its accompanying digital services – is partially being forced by BT’s efforts to lure customers away from Sky and onto its BT Vision TV service, which it’s offering completely free to broadband customers that sign up for its Infinity fiber service.
As a result, Sky has also introduced offers, such as providing the first day of the football season completely free to all viewers (whether you have a Sky box or not) and the introduction of companion apps such as this, the Premier League Match Center and the F1 Race Control app to accompany Formula One races.
➤ Sky Sports | iPad
Featured Image Credit – AFP/Getty Images
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