I’ve never considered myself a glutton for punishment, yet somehow I’ve willingly sat through nearly every ball of England’s last few Ashes series Down Under. And honestly, that should be torment enough.

Watching our best cricketers get physically peppered and psychologically battered, only to crumble like a scorched bail in the urn, has been painful.

To put it in numbers, Australia has won 13 of the last 15 Tests on their home soil.

But here’s the twist: the real agony hasn’t been staying up until the early hours to see Rory Burns lose his leg stump on the first ball, or Steve Smith grinding out yet another century, or even witnessing Scott Boland take a mind-boggling six wickets for seven runs at the MCG.

No, the hardest part has been enduring it all on TNT Sports.

TNT Sports’ Rocky Journey With Cricket

Since securing the rights from Sky for the 2017-18 series in a £80million, five-year deal with Cricket Australia, TNT Sports has offered a masterclass in how not to broadcast live sport.

And their new plans for this winter’s Ashes suggest they might hit a new low.

Back in 2017, TNT—then still BT Sport—made a real attempt.

They sent analysts like Ricky Ponting, Geoffrey Boycott, and Michael Vaughan to Australia, and commentary duties were handled by Alison Mitchell, a broadcaster with vast Test Match Special experience.

The coverage wasn’t slick and felt amateur compared with Sky, but at least it tried.

Fast forward a few years, and TNT seems to have given up. Sending commentators to the action? That’s now a luxury.

For the 2021-22 Ashes, TNT had a few pundits sitting in a London studio, 10,000 miles from the matches, relying on commentary feeds from Australia’s Fox Sports.

And if you were hoping for seamless UK analysis? Forget it.

Pre-recorded puff pieces and off-screen hosting became the norm.

The Upcoming Ashes Could Be More Painful

For the next series, TNT is planning a hybrid approach. Sir Alastair Cook and Becky Ives will be in Australia, but lead commentators Alastair Eykyn and Rob Hatch—who have minimal cricket experience—will be based in the UK.

They’re separated from the action by thousands of miles and dependent on what their screens show.

Scott Young, EVP at TNT’s parent company Warner Bros Discovery Sports Europe, insists that viewers “won’t notice” the commentators’ locations and that Eykyn and Hatch are “huge cricket fans.”

But imagine Harry Brook sends a bouncer flying into the air—how can commentators thousands of miles away gauge whether it’s a six or a fielder’s catch? These scenarios could leave fans more confused than enlightened.

Catering to Non-Cricket Fans at the Expense of Real Viewers

TNT claims the plan is to appeal to non-cricket fans, including those who follow football, rugby, or UFC.

But let’s be honest: the people watching the Ashes at 4 a.m. are cricket fans, and they deserve coverage that actually serves them.

Dumbing down the broadcast in a bid to attract casual viewers risks alienating the very audience who tunes in religiously.

Sky Sports Set a Higher Standard

It’s not TNT’s fault that viewers have been spoiled.

Since acquiring cricket rights in 2006, Sky Sports has set a standard that combines insightful analysis with likeable broadcasters who know their sport inside out.

Even with some losses in talent, Sky remains a reliable and informative option, with broadcasters like Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton elevating the viewing experience.

In comparison, TNT’s approach feels like a step backward.

Fans watching the Ashes on TNT might not just witness England being defeated—they could suffer the extra insult of poor, disconnected commentary on top of it.

Ashes Pain Isn’t Just on the Field

For fans committed to following England Down Under, the Ashes have long been a test of patience.

But TNT Sports now makes the experience an endurance trial of a different kind: being thousands of miles away from the action, grappling with inexperienced commentators, and enduring coverage that seems designed to appease everyone except the people who actually care.

If you thought staying up for Burns or Smith was painful, buckle up: TNT could make this winter’s series even harder to watch.