How TNT’s Ashes experiment mirrored Bazball
December 2025
The Ashes isn’t just another series — it’s a cultural marker. So when TNT Sports took a bold swing at reinventing its cricket commentary for the 2025 Ashes opener, fans noticed.
In Broadcast Sport, Casey Harwood, Chief Business Officer at Engage Digital Partners, draws a striking parallel between England’s aggressive Bazball approach and TNT’s own high-risk experiment: replacing traditional cricket voices with presenters from rugby and cycling.
While intended to freshen up the format, the move misjudged cricket’s emotional rhythm. Fans missed the nuance, instinct and intimacy that comes from years of cricket-specific commentary. Much like Bazball, TNT’s bold play felt unstructured enthusiasm without enough grounding.
In sport, change is accepted but only when rooted in respect for the game’s culture. If the broadcast becomes a distraction, fans disengage. For TNT, rebuilding trust means not just being bold, but being better attuned to what cricket audiences value.
