talkSPORT wins broadcast rights to the England men’s cricket tour of South Africa 26/27
Wednesday 23rd September 2026
talkSPORT, the home of live sport and even livelier opinion, today announces it will broadcast live coverage of the England men’s cricket tour of South Africa this winter.
The series will be broadcast on talkSPORT 2 and the talkSPORT Cricket YouTube Channel with daily tour podcasts available via the Following On podcast feed.
talkSPORT’s award-winning cricket coverage will be led by Head of Cricket Jon Norman, former England fast bowlers Steve Harmison, Alex Tudor, Darren Gough and Kate Cross, alongside broadcasters Neil Manthorp and Jarrod Kimber, who will be on commentary for the three Tests and three ODIs across December and into January 2027 – with more names to follow.
talkSPORT 2 will broadcast over 100 hours of live and exclusive ball-by-ball coverage with added content published on podcast, YouTube and social channels. Jarrod Kimber will continue his popular Super Over series, exclusive to talkSPORT Cricket’s YouTube. The deal was negotiated by Cricket South Africa’s international media rights partner, IMG.
Steve Harmison will co-host talkSPORT’s long-running Following On podcast, which will be the place to go for regular and exclusive England and South Africa player interviews as we continue our ‘On Tour’ daily podcasts that we began back in 2018.
It’s the first time England has toured South Africa for a Test series in six years, after winning the series 3-1 in January 2020 – a series remembered for Ben Stokes’ heroics in front of a packed crowd at Newlands in the Boxing Day Test, which was broadcast live on talkSPORT.
talkSPORT took home the Sports Journalism Association Best Live Sport Award for the 2020 South Africa series, and the 2018 Sri Lanka tour.
Liam Fisher, Head of talkSPORT, says: “Nothing beats the energy of a Test tour, so we’re excited to bring live ball-by-ball coverage of England’s return to South Africa back to talkSPORT. Six years after broadcasting that unforgettable 2020 series, we’re delighted to be bringing our audience live coverage of both the Tests and ODIs on talkSPORT 2, YouTube, and on the Following On podcast, to ensure fans don’t miss a thing.”
talkSPORT will have coverage of the fixtures below:
Thursday 17 December 1st Test, Johannesberg
Saturday 26 December 2nd Test, Centurion
Sunday 3 January 3rd Test, Cape Town
Sunday 10 January 1st ODI, Paarl
Wednesday 13 January 2nd ODI, Bloemfontein
Friday 15 January 3rd ODI, Bloemfontein
talkSPORT will also broadcast the eagerly awaited return of Australia to South African shores for the first time in a Test series since the infamous 2018 tour. From 24th September, the full series will be available exclusively to UK audiences on talkSPORT 2 and to listeners in Australia on the talkSPORT Cricket YouTube Channel with end of play podcasts available throughout.
ENDS
About talkSPORT:
talkSPORT, part of News Broadcasting, is the home of live sport and livelier opinion across the UK and beyond, and the Global Audio Partner of the Premier League and official audio rights holder of the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
We don’t just cover sport. We live, breathe, love and talk all about it. The build-up, the anticipation and the excitement.
Our award-winning output remains the industry gold standard; in 2026 alone, talkSPORT secured top honors at the SJA British Sports Journalism Awards for White & Jordan (Best Audio Show) for a fourth year, Ally McCoist (Pundit of the Year), alongside a win for talkSPORT Drive’s Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent for Best Interview at the Commercial Radio News Awards.
How to listen to and watch talkSPORT
Radio: Tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT2 via DAB digital radio, or on 1089/1053 AM.
App & Online: Stream every moment for free at talkSPORT.com or via the talkSPORT app.
Smart Speaker: Just ask your device to “Play talkSPORT”.
Watch: talkSPORT is available as a 24/7 live stream via YouTube and on Smart TV platforms Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels, Amazon Prime Video, Roku and Rakuten – full details at http://talksport.com/watch.