Asia’s No. 1 Sports Broadcaster Wins 10-Year Multi-Platform Rights for the First International Twenty20 Cricket Domestic Competition
ESPN STAR Sports (ESS), Asia’s No. 1 sports broadcaster, has been awarded the Global Commercial Rights to the new and exciting Champions League Twenty20 for the next ten years till 2017. The deal gives ESPN STAR Sports the exclusive Global Commercial Rights for all the matches in the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 season, due to be held from December 3 to 10, 2008, and for all upcoming seasons until 2017.
The deal awards ESS a multitude of rights across various platforms, including television, internet, mobile and radio. In addition, ESS will also have all title rights, event sponsorship, ground rights and merchandizing rights around the property.
The Champions League Twenty20, developed by three founding member boards, the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa, is well set to become the world's top international Twenty20 cricket tournament involving domestic sides. Eight teams, consisting of the reigning winners and runners-up from the domestic Twenty20 competitions in India, Australia and South Africa, plus the winners of 2008 Twenty20 championships (to be held in October 2008) from Pakistan, and the reigning Twenty20 Cup champion from England, Middlesex, have been invited to contest the 2008 Champions League Twenty20.
Mr. Manu Sawhney, Managing Director, ESPN STAR Sports, said: “We're extremely pleased at having won the Global Commercial Rights to the new and exciting Champions League Twenty20. This is a testament to our commitment to the game of cricket and fans as we cement our relationship with the BCCI, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa.
“With the phenomenal success that we have had with inaugural ICC Twenty20 World Cup last year, we are confident that we will be able to take this exciting Champions League Twenty20 to new heights as well. This world-class event will reiterate ESS’ position as the number one choice for cricket fans in Asia for years to come.”
“Through our television channels - ESPN, STAR Sports & STAR Cricket, our website www.espnstar.com, and our wireless platforms mobileESPN and STAR Sports Mobile, we are confident of taking the Champions League Twenty20 to new heights by working along with the various partners involved and are committed to set new benchmarks in the broadcast and distribution, such that fans of this crowd-pulling format can look forward to an exciting time when the league begins this December”, added Sawhney.
The Champions League Twenty20 acquisition further strengthens ESPN STAR Sports’ position as the Number 1 broadcaster in cricket in Asia with a comprehensive schedule of international cricket. ESS also holds the exclusive global telecast rights by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for all ICC events till 2015, and features international and domestic cricket from its exclusive broadcast deals with the Cricket Australia and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
About ESPN STAR Sports
ESPN STAR Sports is a 50:50 joint venture between two of the world’s leading cable and satellite broadcasters. As Asia's definitive and complete sports broadcaster and content provider, ESPN STAR Sports combines the strengths and resources of its ultimate parent companies – Walt Disney (ESPN, Inc.) and News Corporation Limited (STAR) – to deliver a diverse array of international and regional sports to viewers via its encrypted pay and free-to-air services.
ESPN STAR Sports showcases an unparalleled variety of premier live sports from around the globe 24 hours a day to a cumulative reach of more than 310 million viewers in Asia. ESPN STAR Sports has 17 networks covering 24 countries, each localised to deliver differentiated world-class premier sports programming to Asian viewers. This includes ESPN Asia, ESPN China, ESPN Hong Kong, ESPN India, ESPN Malaysia, ESPN Philippines, ESPN Singapore, ESPN Taiwan, MBC-ESPN (Korea), STAR Sports Asia, STAR Sports Hong Kong, STAR Sports India, STAR Sports Malaysia, STAR Sports Singapore, STAR Sports Southeast Asia, STAR Sports Taiwan, and STAR Cricket.
On the ground, the ESPN STAR Sports Event Management Group manages and promotes premier sporting events around Asia. ESPN STAR Sports aims to reach consumers at any time, any place and through all new media platforms, both internet and mobile. The multi-lingual, online platforms, espnstar.com, espnstar.com.cn and espnstar.com.tw and footballcrazy.tv interact with millions of users providing them with in-depth sports news, results and competitions. Developed for the sports fan that is constantly on the move, mobileESPN and STAR Sports Mobile delivers differentiated mobile content targeted at its various audiences. mobileESPN enables the serious sports fan to follow their favourite sports more closely than ever before with a combination of specially produced video news clips, in-depth news coverage and analysis. STAR Sports Mobile aims to provide interactive and entertaining opportunities to engage with sports, delivering exclusive video excerpts from leading football clubs Arsenal and Liverpool as well as highlights from STAR Sports original programmes covering opinions, instructional tips and the latest online game reviews.
For more information, please contact:
Dechavut Vuttisilp/ Suparat Photivichit
Total Quality PR (Thailand) Co., Ltd.,
Tel: +66 (0) 2260 5820 ext 120/113
Mobile: 089 205 3039
Email:
[email protected] /
[email protected]