Dubai: Indian media conglomerate Disney Star expressed delight over retaining ICC Media Rights in the country for four years, saying they are looking forward to strengthening their partnership with the International Cricket Council (ICC) in coming years.
The ICC on Saturday evening confirmed Disney Star will be the home of all ICC cricket action in India for the next four years after it won the TV and digital media rights of both men’s and women’s global events till the end of 2027.
Disney Star had been owning the ICC media rights for the 2015-23 cycle, which is majorly seen in the market as the second-most lucrative rights in cricket after IPL.
“We are delighted at being able to continue our association with the International Cricket Council (ICC). Under the new four-year agreement, Disney Star has retained exclusive digital streaming and television rights for both men’s and women’s events through 2027. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with ICC in the years ahead,” said K. Madhavan, Country Manager & President, Disney Star.
“Disney Star has played an important role over the last seven years in transforming ICC games into one of the biggest sporting spectacles in India and has expanded the viewer base of the property across geographies and demographics in the country.”
“The extension of the ICC rights adds to our strong portfolio of cricket properties which also include the television rights for IPL (2023-27), digital rights to Cricket Australia (2024-31), BCCI broadcast rights through 2024, and Cricket South Africa (end of 2023-24 season), and bolsters our status as the go-to destination for the best sporting events in the country,” added Madhavan.
Earlier, in June, Disney Star had retained the Indian Premier League (IPL) TV rights for INR 23,575 crore (which comes to INR 57.5 crore per match). Though it lost out to Viacom18 for IPL digital rights, getting both TV and digital rights for ICC events in India is a huge plus for Disney Star.
“In addition to cricket, we also offer Pro Kabbadi League, Indian Super League (ISL) and various international rights, including the Wimbledon Championships and the English Premier League. Our vast portfolio of more than 70 television channels in India spans across general entertainment, films, sports, infotainment, kids, and lifestyle content, reaching 90% of pay cable and satellite TV homes in the region.”
“In addition to offering sports programming, we are also focused on growing our robust slate of original entertainment content for Disney+ Hotstar and our television channels in the region. Disney+ Hotstar has changed the way Indians watch their entertainment – from favourite locally produced original TV shows to global blockbuster films and popular sporting events.”
“Last year, Disney+ Hotstar was home to seven of the Top Ten Hindi SVOD entertainment series in India, and we currently have more than 100 local original titles in our content pipeline – with over 80 local originals slated to premiere this fiscal year,” concluded Madhavan.
–IANS
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