Captain Kane Williamson, with knee bandage, addresses the Black Caps at final training for the first ODI against South Africa.

Sky Television says Cricket South Africa set too steep a price and were "too aggressive" over the rights for the Black Caps series, as viewers were left in the dark for the first time since 2003.

Richard Last, director of sport for the network, said they tabled an increased last-minute offer to Cricket SA's Sydney-based agent IMG on Wednesday afternoon, but it wasn't enough to secure live coverage of the first one-day international in Centurion. The rejected offer means it's the first time in 12 years a test or ODI against a major opponent hasn't been televised by Sky.

Last said Sky made an initial bid before the first Twenty20 international to Cricket SA and its broadcast partner SuperSport.

"They came back with a number that we thought 'crikey that's pretty steep'. We tried to see if we could make it work and we thought 'no, they're being far too aggressive there'," Last said.

"There's often a bit of to-ing and fro-ing and we went back with another offer. You would hope that way before now a deal would have been agreed.

"It has gone on too long. Nobody wins in this situation. We certainly don't, viewers don't and Cricket South Africa doesn't. I feel a bit sorry for NZ Cricket because they can't do much about it, but they get in trouble too. We just wanted to try and get a deal done and we tried to show willing [with the increased offer]."

NZC initiated talks with Cricket SA over the rights last weekend, but there was no movement. Australia's Fox Sports secured rights to the South Africa series.

Last was prepared for a viewer backlash from cricket fans, some of whom vowed to cancel their subscription. But he insisted Sky had done all it could within the boundaries of what they saw as a reasonable price for the rights, and were confident future overseas tours would be screened in New Zealand.

"Normally in the past we've always managed to reach agreement, so that might suggest that it's not us that's being unreasonable.

"I would really like to think this is the exception that proves the rule. If we've done it for the last 12-13 years I'd like to see us go another 12-13 years without missing one."

Last said a low-key tour in winter, screened in the middle of the night, was factored into the calculation for their bid, but it didn't play a huge part. There were multi-year rights deals in place with England and Australia, meaning the three tests across the Tasman in November were already locked in. The rights for the World Twenty20 in India in March were soon to be offered by the International Cricket Council.

"Rights are escalating around the world for all sorts of content and we are trying to cope with that. We'd rather get a deal done but you just can't pay what people want every time."

Regardless of who's to blame, it's another blow to Sky's credibility as they increase subscriptions but offer less major live sport in an increasingly competitive market. Another English Premier League football season got under way with Sky not owning the rights, and this week's PGA Championship wasn't shown because it was part of the full PGA Tour golf package that Sky missed out on securing. Talks with the PGA Tour were set to resume next month and Sky were keen to bid for the EPL in the 2016-17 season when the rights auction takes place in December.

Last pointed out Sky broadcast 70 live events last weekend and secured coverage of the football Champions League but said the argument subscribers were paying more for less was valid.

"It's pretty hard to argue because they [viewers] didn't get the T20s and that's not ideal for anybody. But if we paid what everybody asked us to pay every time we'd have to put the subscription rates up to keep pace. We're trying to manage both ends of the equation."

Stuff.co.nz will be providing live online commentary and a ball by bally scorecard of the Black Caps' first ODI with the Proteas from 10.30pm.