ESS Scores Middle Eastern Deals on ICC Events

SINGAPORE,
July 7: Cricket fans across the
Middle East and North Africa will be able to watch International
Cricket Council (ICC) events from 2008 to 2015, via a deal between ESPN STAR
Sports and Arab Digital Distribution (ADD).

The agreement covers all TV and new-media platforms in
markets such as Egypt,
Morocco, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Manu
Sawhney, the managing director of ESPN STAR Sports, said: We have succeeded in securing some very
significant long-term broadcast partnerships for the ICC events and we are
thrilled to be working with ADD and look forward to serving fans
with these showcase ICC cricket events in this growing market. This
exciting partnership underscores our commitment to cricket fans in
the Middle East as the sport continues to grow at an immense rate across
the globe. In addition to this, we are currently in discussions with more broadcasters
across other markets and we expect to soon be in a position to share details on
them with you.”

Vinod D’Mello,
the executive VP of group strategy and planning at ADD, added: “The exclusive
opportunity to watch top tier ICC Cricket for all cricket lovers in the
Middle East is a fantastic prospect. Cricket is a big driver of
audiences for our business and has a dynamic following which
cuts across all segments irrespective of age, gender or background.
This long-term partnership with ESPN STAR Sports underlines our commitment of
providing world-class sports entertainment to our viewers.”

—By Mansha Daswani