Why can’t the Cricket World Cup be broadcast locally?

Dear Editor,

Most broadcasts are currently centred around the 2015 elections, and though it is understood why, ardent cricket fans continue to wonder why there aren’t any advertisements concerning the upcoming World Cup. Cricket remains the most beloved sport in the Caribbean and it seems as though the local broadcasters have ceased attempts to broadcast matches that involve our West Indies cricket team. It is understood that ESPN has the broadcasting rights for the aforementioned tournament as they do for a variety of others, but no one in our local broadcasting community can convince me that a deal cannot be worked out with the said company. The average Guyanese cannot afford to subscribe to local cable companies and therefore we will miss the exciting matches of the third largest sports tournament in the world. The cry for the administration of NCN to reach out in the past has fallen on deaf ears and we the cricket fans remain wondering if the necessary steps have ever been taken. In no way am I trying to disenfranchise the cable companies; all I am asking for is that the administration make attempts to address the situation. In all the years that I have been following West Indies cricket, I have never seen so many cricket matches not broadcast by our local subscribers. Cricket is more than a sport to some; it is a religion that brings Guyanese together, ignoring the constant racial bias that plagues our society. Evidently if West Indies is to lift the cup, the poor man won’t be able to share the joy that a few members of the elite will.

Yours faithfully,
Devin Singh