ESS to Appoint Global TV Distribution Partners for ICC Events

SINGAPORE, December 14: ESPN STAR Sports (ESS), the global broadcast and production partner for
International Cricket Council (ICC) programming, has issued a call for
participation in the tender process for the television broadcast rights to ICC
events from 2008 to 2011.

The tender
process is open to broadcasters, broadcasting unions, sports rights agencies,
cable operators and affiliates, as well as media companies around the world. The
invitation to tender for various rights outside India for ICC events will be
released shortly to participating parties.

Late last
year, ESPN STAR Sports’ affiliate, EML, was awarded the exclusive global
telecast rights from ICC for all of their events from 2007 to 2015. Over the
next four years, the ICC cricket calendar is filled with a number of key
events, including the ICC Champions’ Trophy in Pakistan in 2008, the second
edition of the ICC World Twenty20 in England in 2009, ICC Champions’ Trophy in
West Indies in 2010 and the ICC Cricket World Cup in the Indian subcontinent,
which is scheduled to be held in 2011. In addition, a number of other events
such as the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2008 and 2010, the ICC Women’s
World Cup in 2009, ICC World Cup Qualifier in 2009 and the World Cricket League
in 2011 are also included in the package of rights on offer.

ESPN STAR
Sports kicked off its partnership with the ICC with the inaugural edition of
the ICC World Twenty20 held this past September in South Africa. ESPN STAR
Sports, through its networks and distribution partners, showcased the
tournament in more than 110 countries spanning North America, the Caribbean,
Africa, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Greece, Cyprus,
Mauritius, South Asia, the Indian subcontinent and North Asia—including
China for the first time. In addition, ESPN STAR Sports produced the global
feed for the tournament.

Manu
Sawhney, the managing director of ESPN STAR Sports, said: “As the global ICC
broadcast and production partner, we are heartened by the success of the recent
ICC World Twenty20. The television coverage of the recent event was widely
acknowledged as being of a very high quality and ESPN STAR Sports will continue
to raise the bar in producing coverage for the various upcoming ICC events. We
are keen to build on this successful beginning and to help grow the popularity
of cricket across the globe. We believe that the package of rights till 2011
offers broadcasters unparalleled cricket programming, with one major ICC event
each year, as well as a number of other high-quality international
competitions. ”

—By
Irene Lew