Pan-Asian broadcaster ESPN Star Sports, the global media distribution rights partner of the International Cricket Council, cricket’s global governing body, has agreed a deal with the ESPN International pay-television broadcaster to provide coverage in Latin America.
The four-year deal, from 2012 to 2015, covers several ICC events, including the 2015 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The partnership also includes rights to the Champions League Twenty20 competition from 2013 to 2015.
Under the agreement, ESPN International will show the events in English via ESPN Play, ESPN’s broadband network that offers live and on-demand sports content in Latin America.
The deal marks the first time that ICC events will be available in the region.
“It is our endeavour to work along with our partners in taking the game of cricket to new markets and new audiences and we are delighted to have succeeded in securing the first ever broadcast partnerships for the ICC events and the Champions League Twenty20 in South America,” ESPN Star Sports’ senior vice-president of corporate development and cricket rights, Anurag Dahiya, said. “We are very pleased to be working with ESPN International to showcase an exciting calendar of ICC cricket events in this emerging cricket market, and this exciting partnership underscores our commitment to Latin American fans as the sport continues to grow at an immense rate across the globe.”