Sky Sports will broadcast the first six matches of the Netball Quad Series ©Sky Sports

Broadcasting giants Sky Sports will screen live coverage of all six matches in the inaugural Netball Quad Series in Australia and New Zealand, it has been announced.

The first-ever edition of the competition, which also features England and South Africa, gets underway this weekend.

The Australia Diamonds’ clash with the South Africa Proteas and the England Roses against the New Zealand Ferns, both of which are due to be staged at the Vector Arena in Auckland, will be shown on Sky Sports 3 on Saturday (August 27).

South Africa’s encounter with the Silver Ferns, scheduled for next Wednesday (August 31), will also be broadcast on Sky Sports Mix, a new channel launched today in a bid to provide increased coverage to a broader range of sports.

The same channel will screen England’s meeting with Australia on the same day, with the game set to take place at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

The round of matches hosted in Australia and New Zealand then comes to a conclusion at the Margaret Corner in Melbourne on September 4, when England play South Africa and New Zealand entertain Australia in a repeat of the 2015 Netball World Cup final.

The matches in Australia and New Zealand will be shown live on Sky Sports 3 and Sky Sports Mix ©England Netball
The matches in Australia and New Zealand will be shown live on Sky Sports 3 and Sky Sports Mix ©England Netball

The Netball Quad Series will then move to England, with the next set of games due to begin in February.

The English side will take on New Zealand in Liverpool on February 2 before they clash with reigning World Cup champions Australia at Wembley Arena on February 5.

South Africa are scheduled to take on the World Cup runners up at Wembley Arena on the same day.

“The fact that our fan-base has access to the England team on Sky Sports while we're overseas is absolutely fantastic,” England head coach Tracey Neville said.

“All the support is needed and so appreciated on our journey to the 2019 World Cup in Liverpool."

Sky Sports’ head of multi-sport Georgina Faulkner added: “The Quad Series is a great addition to our Sky Sports Mix schedule.

“It will enable millions more people to experience first-class netball and hopefully inspire viewers to go out and play the sport.

"In partnership with England Netball, this agreement sees Sky continuing to broadcast world class netball and take the sport to more households than ever before on Sky Sports Mix.”