Indian media conglomerate Disney Star, on Saturday, has bagged the broadcasting rights of all International Cricket Council (ICC) events for a four-year deal from 2024 to 2027 for the Indian market, the global governing body of cricket said.
ICC, in a media release, said, “Disney Star will be the home of all ICC cricket in India for the next four years having won the TV and digital rights to both men’s and women’s global events through to the end of 2027.”
ICC Chair Greg Barclay said: “We are delighted to continue to partner with Disney Star as the home of ICC cricket for the next four years which has delivered an outstanding result for our Members and will support our ambitious growth plans. They will play a crucial role in the future of our sport and connecting and engaging with more fans than ever before."
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Disney Star has won the TV and digital rights following a robust tender, bidding and evaluation process, which started in June 2022, as per the statement. Star emerged winners after staving off a strong challenge from Viacom 18, Sony Sports and Zee Network.
K Madhavan, Country Manager & President, Disney Star said: “We are delighted at being able to continue our association with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and look forward to strengthening our partnership by growing the sport of cricket in the years ahead.”
In June, the IPL media rights for the 2023-2027 cycle were sold for a whopping Rs 57.5 crore per match for TV and Rs 50 crore per match for digital.
“With the acquisition of the ICC Digital and TV broadcast rights, Disney Star has further strengthened its status as the premier destination for marquee cricket events in the country.”
Barclay further added: “Having a broadcast and digital partner for women’s events in India is a significant step forward in our ambition to accelerate the growth of the women’s game. Disney Star presented impressive plans for the promotion of women’s cricket and they clearly share our vision so I’m incredibly excited by the size of the opportunity ahead.”
“This was an incredibly competitive process, which isn’t surprising given the huge audiences that cricket consistently attracts with more than a billion fans that passionately follow the game globally. I’d like to thank all of the bidders for their interest in and support of cricket.”