Five to make Ashes highlights available online

Five has unveiled plans for a multiplatform strategy for its coverage of the upcoming Ashes cricket series.

The broadcaster will launch a stand-alone Ashes microsite, which is expected to feature exclusive shortform video content as well as longform highlights programmes.

Each 45-minute programme presented by Mark Nicholas will be available to view online for seven days from 10pm each evening of play, under the terms of the contract between the broadcaster and the England & Wales Cricket Board.

Five has signed an exclusive solus agency deal with ZenithOptimedia to buy all of the online advertising inventory surrounding the broadcaster’s cricket coverage this summer.

The deal includes all pre and mid-roll around both The Ashes and the One day Internationals, display advertising on the cricket-related pages of Demand Five and display inventory plus pre-roll on short-form content on Five’s cricket microsite.

Five also plans to make its daily television coverage of the Ashes test series available on its catch-up TV service, Demand Five, for the first time.

Jonathan Lewis, head of digital media at Five, said: “The deal with Zenithoptimedia demonstrates just what a compelling proposition our cricket coverage will be this year. The Ashes series is a major landmark for Five.

“Expanding the presence of our exclusive broadcast coverage of cricket to online users brings the flexibility of on-demand viewing to the game and can only help it reach as wide an audience possible.”

Ricki Assenheim, TV trading director at Zenithoptimedia, added: “We’re delighted to be teaming up with Five and look forward to working closely with them to take full advantage of the growing popularity of online video.”