ESPN STAR Sports Drives Focus Towards Cricket

SINGAPORE: ESPN STAR Sports has renewed its partnership with Eurosport Group for the ICC World Twenty20 and also to launch the What is Cricket? educational campaign.

The campaign will feature five-minute promotional clips that introduce key elements of the sport. The segments will also present reasons for why the ICC World Twenty20 is exciting to watch to new fans and viewers. The campaign will be broadcast across 56 territories.

ESPN STAR Sports and Eurosport Group have also increased the number of languages the event is broadcast in to 15. Eurosport Group will air 23 matches, including 14 live games, from the ICC World Twenty20, held April 30 to May 16. All games will also be available live and on-demand on Eurosport’s online pay-TV service, Eurosport Player.

ESPN STAR Sports’ managing director, Manu Sawhney, said: “We’re very pleased to continue our partnership with Eurosport Group to showcase the ICC World Twenty20 event across continental Europe. This event enjoys a strong following across the region and we’re committed to build on that popularity further with the What is Cricket? campaign together with the ICC and Eurosport Group.

“This unique educational campaign builds on the ICC World Twenty20’s growing appeal after last year’s efforts to localize the event, and will go a long way in taking the game to new heights in the continent and bringing in new audiences for the future.”

Haroon Lorgat, ICC’s CEO, added: "This is encouraging news in the lead up to the ICC World Twenty20. We are very pleased to have such a committed partner in ESPN STAR Sports and are heartened with their innovative efforts to extend the reach of the event across Europe. The educational campaign will certainly heighten the profile of the sport in Europe and we are pleased that viewers across the continent will be so well served by this multi-language coverage of the event with Eurosport."

Laurent-Eric Le Lay, the chairman and CEO of Eurosport Group, commented: “We’re delighted with the partnership between ESPN STAR Sports and the ICC. We’re looking forward to delivering the ICC World Twenty20 in best way possible to our fans in Europe so they can enjoy the event in all its glory. This is one of the year’s biggest cricket event and we’re confident that this new educational campaign, combined with broadcasting the event in more languages, will raise the bar in terms of reaching more fans.”