Disney Star signs sublicensing agreement with ZEE for ICC TV rights

In a first of its kind in the Indian media sports broadcast history, Disney Star and ZEE on Tuesday announced that the two parties have entered into a sublicensing agreement over the recent media rights of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

As per the deal, ZEE will broadcast all the men’s and Under-19 global cricket matches on its television channels while Star will only keep the digital rights and will show the matches on its digital platform Hotstar. The strategic licensing agreement will be in place for four years starting in 2024.

Commenting on the move, Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., said: “The association with Disney Star reflects our sharp, strategic vision for the sports business in India. As a one-stop television destination for ICC men’s cricket events until 2027, ZEE will leverage the strength of its network to offer a compelling experience for its viewers and a great return on investment for its advertisers.”

According to a joint statement by Disney Star and ZEE, the ICC has, in principle, approved the arrangement and the move enables ZEE to be the exclusive television rights holder of ICC men’s events, including the coveted ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (2024, 2026), ICC Men’s Champions Trophy (2025), and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup (2027) along with key ICC U-19 events.

On the other hand, K. Madhavan, country manager & president, Disney Star, said that they are presenting a balanced and robust cricket offering for our audiences across linear and digital.

“By securing the IPL television broadcast rights for 2023-27 and now opting to retain only the digital rights for ICC tournaments for 2024-27, we have in place a balanced and robust cricket offering for our audiences across linear and digital,” said Madhavan.

“Over the years, Disney Star has strengthened the appeal of international cricket in India, enabling it to reach diverse age groups and cultural demographics across all parts of the country. As India’s leading media house, we will continue to do so with our strong portfolio of cricket properties across television and digital,” he added.

Apart from securing the ICC digital rights for the next four years, Disney Star currently also have the television rights for IPL (2023-27), television and digital rights for Cricket Australia (2023-2030), television and digital BCCI rights (2023) and television and digital rights for Cricket South Africa (end of 2023-2024).

Apart from cricket, Star also has other sporting properties like Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), Indian Super League (ISL), the Wimbledon and the English Premier League (EPL).

News Desk

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