BWI: ESPN STAR Sports Grants Al Jazeera Sport Rights to Broadcast first ever LIVE Cricket Content

Press release from Business Wire India
Source: ESPN STAR Sports
Wednesday, June 13, 2012 03:32 PM IST (10:02 AM GMT)
Editors: General: Consumer interest, Sports; Business: Business services, Media & entertainment, Sports
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ESPN STAR Sports Grants Al Jazeera Sport Rights to Broadcast first ever LIVE Cricket Content
Acquisition of ECB's Friends Life Twenty20 highlights growing popularity of the sport in the

New Delhi, Delhi, India, Wednesday, June 13, 2012 -- (Business Wire India) -- ESPN STAR Sports, the exclusive Asian rights holder for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) domestic and home international matches, has announced an agreement with Al Jazeera Sport for the television broadcast rights of the Friends Life Twenty20 2012.

The deal marks a significant landmark for cricket broadcasting in the Middle East and North Africa with Al Jazeera Sport televising cricket for the first time ever with LIVE coverage of 25 matches from ECB's domestic Twenty20 league scheduled to take place from 12 June to 25 August 2012.

Covering terrestrial, cable and satellite television rights, the collaboration between Asia's No. 1 sports content provider and the biggest sport broadcaster in the Pan-Arab & MENA region will bring the exciting action from the Friends Life Twenty20 available to numerous cricket fans in the region.

Said Mr. Anurag Dahiya, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development & Cricket Rights: "We are very pleased with the strong interest shown by Al Jazeera Sports in cricket. These arrangements promise to extend the popularity and reach of ECB's events with the aim of raising the profile of the sport in the region, building on from last year's highly successful ICC Cricket World Cup."

While it is more easily recognised as the leading broadcaster of cricket into the sport's core markets of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, ESPN STAR Sports has come to become the world's leading distributor of international cricket rights.

ESPN STAR Sports licenses ECB broadcast rights throughout North Africa and the Middle East along with various other parts of Asia. In addition, ESS' international cricket syndication business includes global distribution of marquee properties such as International Cricket Council events & Champions League T20 as well as Cricket Australia's events (in Asia and North Africa).

Over the last few years, ESS has broadcast the game of cricket to over 180 territories across the globe in more than 16 languages, which has been a key contributor to the tremendous growth in the global visibility and popularity of the game.

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 biggest sports content provider, ESPN STAR Sports combines the strengths and resources of its parent companies - Walt Disney (ESPN, Inc.) and News Corporation Limited (STAR) - to deliver a diverse array of international and regional sports to fans across multiple platforms.

ESPN STAR Sports features a comprehensive portfolio of multimedia assets including its television networks (ESPN, STAR Sports, STAR Cricket, ESPNEWS, ESPN HD, STAR Cricket HD), broadband network (ESPN Player), digital content services (espnstar.com, mobileESPN), and its on-ground Event Management Group with the aim to engage and entertain sports fans anytime, anyplace.

ESPN STAR Sports showcases an unparalleled variety of premier sports from around the globe featuring some of the most iconic sports events to viewers across 24 countries in Asia through its 25 television networks and 3 broadband networks, each localized to deliver differentiated programming to meet diverse needs of Asian sports fans.


CONTACT DETAILS
Sameer Bajaj, ESPN Software India Pvt Ltd, +91 9811222700, sameerb@espnstar.co.in
Sukriti Kalra, IPAN Hill and Knowlton, +91 9910393262, skalra@ipanhillandknowlton.com

KEYWORDS
CONSUMER, SPORTS, BUSINESS SERVICES, MEDIA

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