Watch England's men's and women's sides look to regain The Ashes live on Sky Sports in June and July; Sky Sports pundits include Nasser Hussain, Ricky Ponting, Kevin Pietersen, Mel Jones, Isa Guha and Mark Taylor; men's Ashes starts on Friday June 16, women's series on Thursday June 22
Wednesday 14 June 2023 09:58, UK
It's the news all cricket fans have been waiting for. Ahead of the first day of the Ashes, Sky Sports has proven that having the cricket on while working actually improves productivity.
The new research, undertaken by behavioural science experts with over 1,000 cricket fans across the UK, reveals that the disruption caused by switching from work to check the score, known as 'context switching', means that it is actually more productive to have the match on while working.
If employers want their teams to better focus, the findings prove it's time to drop the boundaries and allow employees to watch the men's and women's Ashes this summer - be it on TV, mobile or iPad.
More than half (52 per cent) of respondents say they plan to follow The Ashes via live updates and every time a cricket fan 'context switches' to another tab or app, reports suggest it can take nine and a half minutes for them to get back to a productive workflow, with further research suggesting that it can take up to 23 minutes to return to your original task.
On average, cricket fans check the score 10 times a day (3.5 minutes per time), with over 18 per cent reporting to check multiple times an hour. This means that fans spend on average 30 minutes checking the score per day.
When combined with the impact of 'context switching', it means a whopping 90 minutes to two hours productive work time could be saved per fan per day by allowing them to watch live. This amounts to almost an entire session of a Test match each day, and up to 50 hours across the series!
Office attendance is also set to reduce by 13 per cent during Ashes Tests, including a 30 per cent reduction in those who go in every day. But according to the research, employers who let their teams watch the Ashes can expect to see no drop at all, with attendances set to stay at usual levels.
With every ball from the men's and women's series being shown side-by-side in the UK for the first time, and an unprecedented 36 days of Ashes cricket being broadcast on Sky Sports in June and July, there's only one option for bosses who want to keep their teams engaged and productive...as allowing their teams to watch the cricket could mean the difference between cricket heaven and context switching hell.
Chartered Psychologist Dr Simon Moore says: "Context switching is our tendency to shift from one unrelated task to another - whether this is checking an email, Teams message, or in this instance, checking cricket updates on a new tab or app.
"While too much context switching can hamper productivity, other research shows that having small, targeted breaks throughout the day instead - for instance when we notice a major event in the day's play is happening - can be better for both focus and wellbeing."
Speaking about the research, Sky Sports Director of Cricket, Bryan Henderson, said: "When we talk about the power of live sport, we often talk about connection and entertainment - that's what makes it so special. But to now also have proof that having the cricket on can boost productivity is music to my ears. That's why we are calling on bosses across the UK to embrace the power of the Ashes and let their employees enjoy the benefits of watching the action live!"
First Test (Edgbaston) - Friday June 16 - Tuesday June 20 (11am start)
Second Test (Lord's) - Wednesday June 28 - Sunday July 2 (11am start)
Third Test (Clean Slate Headingley) - Thursday July 6 - Monday July 10 (11am start)
Fourth Test (Emirates Old Trafford) - Wednesday July 19 - Sunday July 23 (11am start)
Fifth Test (The Kia Oval) - Thursday July 27 - Monday July 31 (11am start)
Test match (Trent Bridge) - Thursday June 22 - Monday June 26 (11am start)
First T20 international (Edgbaston) - Saturday July 1 (6.35pm start)
Second T20 international (The Kia Oval) - Wednesday July 5 (6.35pm start)
Third T20 international (Lord's) - Saturday July 8 (6.35pm start)
First one-day international (Unique Stadium, Bristol) - Wednesday, July 12 (1pm start)
Second one-day international (The Ageas Bowl) - Sunday July 16 (11am start)
Third one-day international (Taunton) - Tuesday July 18 (1pm start)
Every match from the men's and women's Ashes will be broadcast live, with Sky Sports and NOW customers able to watch up to 36 days of Ashes cricket across both men's and women's series. You can also follow video highlights and over-by-over text commentary across Sky Sports' digital platforms if you are on the move.
