The England and Wales Cricket Board has agreed a rights deal in North America and the Caribbean with digital sports media company Perform. The agreement, covering the England national team’s home matches, will run for four years, from 2014 to 2017.
Financial details were not disclosed, but it is understood that the board achieved a significant increase on the current fee paid by pay-television broadcaster Willow TV, the current rights-holder.
The two main players for cricket rights in North America are Willow TV and pay-television broadcaster ESPN. Pay-television channel Ten Cricket also shows cricket in the region but does not generally buy rights for North America alone.
Demand for cricket in the region is driven by the large expatriate community in the US.
Perform’s entrance into the cricket rights market in North America and the Caribbean follows on from the company launching a joint venture in the US and Canada. Last month, Perform teamed up with American City Business Journals, the publisher of the Sporting News service. The joint venture combines Perform’s ePlayer video-on-demand service and Sporting News, an editorial sports news service.
STORY UPDATED ON 18 APRIL 2013 TO ADD THAT THE DEAL COVERED THE CARIBBEAN AS WELL AS NORTH AMERICA