ESPN STAR Sports Secures Rights for ECB Cricket Matches

SINGAPORE, August 30: In a five-year deal with the England
and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) has acquired the
exclusive broadcast rights to ECB matches across television (inclusive of
mobile TV), Internet and radio.

ESPN STAR Sports will broadcast more than 200 days of live
international cricket action from the ECB, including 34 Test Matches, 54 One
Day Internationals and 9 Twenty20 games. Over the next five years, all the
test-playing nations will be competing in England, with the Indian team slated
to visit in 2011. In addition, ESS will broadcast ECB’s domestic cricket
matches, including the Twenty20 Cup, Provident Trophy, England Lions matches
and Pro40 series featuring top players from around the globe.

Late last year, ESPN STAR Sports was awarded the exclusive
global telecast rights from the International Cricket Council (ICC) for all of
its events from 2007 to 2015 and recently launched the dedicated 24/7 cricket
channel STAR Cricket. ESS will air the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 starting
from September 11. ESPN STAR Sports and its affiliates have already secured
global coverage for the inaugural edition of the ICC World Twenty20, with over
110 countries slated to showcase the tournament throughout North America,
Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Greece, Cyprus and Mauritius.

Jamie Davis, the managing director of ESPN STAR Sports,
said: “This acquisition reaffirms our commitment to the cricket fan. We are
Asia’s leading sports broadcaster and this partnership with the ECB along with
recent acquisitions like the ICC’s global broadcast & production rights
firmly positions ESS as the number one choice for sports fans in Asia for years
to come.”