ESPN STAR Sports bag Champions League rights
Written By
DNA Web Team
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ESPN STAR Sports bagged exclusive Global Commercial Rights for all matches in the Twenty20 Champions League for 10 years
DUBAI: ESPN STAR Sports bagged exclusive Global Commercial Rights for all matches in the Twenty20 Champions League for 10 years on Wednesday at a whopping USD 975 million.
The channel has secured the rights to telecast all seasons until 2017, starting from the inaugural season to be held from December 3 to 10, for what is being claimed as the highest value cricket tournament on a per game basis.
Abu Dhabi Sports Club and DIC were the other bidders in contention for the rights.
All the bids were opened in Dubai. While DIC's bid was USD 751.3 million, Abu Dhabi Sports Club's proposal was disqualified for being a conditional bid.
Lalit Modi, Chairman and Commissioner of Indian Premier League described it as the best commercial deal for the inaugural season.
"We have what we believe to be the best commercial deal for the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League season," he said in a statement issued by the channel.
Manu Sawhney, Managing Director, ESPN STAR Sports, said, "We're extremely pleased at having won the Global Commercial Rights to the new and exciting Champions League Twenty20."
RC Venkateish, Managing Director, ESPN Software India Pvt Ltd, also expressed delight at acquisition of the broadcast rights.
"For us, the Champions League T20 broadcast rights very nicely complement our existing portfolio of prime cricketing content," he said.
"Together with the 8-year ICC media rights this new acquisition will ensure that ESPN STAR Sports has at least one mega cricket property every six months for the next 8 years," Venkateish said
"Along with the existing England and Australia cricket rights this gives us a great spread of quality cricketing action for the discerning Indian cricket fan," he said.
"The T20 Champions League rights are a result of our overall strategy of acquiring key properties of tactical importance across all sports categories," he said.
Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland and his South African counterpart Gerald Majola also hailed the deal.
"With ESPN STAR Sports as our Commercial Rights Partner we are now certain this fantastic new competition will reach discerning cricket fans across the globe.
"The Champions League Twenty20 will build on the success of domestic Twenty20 leagues in Australia and elsewhere in a manner which accelerates the development of cricket globally," he said.
"Now with ESPN STAR Sports as our global Commercial Rights Partner I think that the benefits of this global event will flow down to the interstate cricket level in Australia and in other participant nations, and greatly enhance cricket at the grass roots level, particularly for state-level players who get the chance to pit their skills against players from around the world," he added.
Majola said, "Having ESPN STAR Sports as our Champions League global Commercial Rights Partner will significantly enhance the international stature of the Champions League Twenty20 and encourage the pipeline of cricket development from the club, affiliate and franchise levels through to the international arenas.
"I am sure the global broadcast of the Champions League Twenty20 will ignite the passion of cricket lovers the world over."
The prize money of USD 6 million, will be shared between the teams and their players.
Eight teams, consisting of the reigning winners and runners-up from the domestic Twenty20 competitions in India, Australia and South Africa, plus the winners of 2008 Twenty20 championships (to be held in October 2008) from Pakistan, and the reigning Twenty20 Cup champion from England, Middlesex, have been invited to contest the 2008 Champions League Twenty20.
The tournament will be contested by 12 teams in the second edition to be held between September 25 and October 10, 2009.
The channel has secured the rights to telecast all seasons until 2017, starting from the inaugural season to be held from December 3 to 10, for what is being claimed as the highest value cricket tournament on a per game basis.
Abu Dhabi Sports Club and DIC were the other bidders in contention for the rights.
All the bids were opened in Dubai. While DIC's bid was USD 751.3 million, Abu Dhabi Sports Club's proposal was disqualified for being a conditional bid.
Lalit Modi, Chairman and Commissioner of Indian Premier League described it as the best commercial deal for the inaugural season.
"We have what we believe to be the best commercial deal for the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League season," he said in a statement issued by the channel.
Manu Sawhney, Managing Director, ESPN STAR Sports, said, "We're extremely pleased at having won the Global Commercial Rights to the new and exciting Champions League Twenty20."
RC Venkateish, Managing Director, ESPN Software India Pvt Ltd, also expressed delight at acquisition of the broadcast rights.
"For us, the Champions League T20 broadcast rights very nicely complement our existing portfolio of prime cricketing content," he said.
"Together with the 8-year ICC media rights this new acquisition will ensure that ESPN STAR Sports has at least one mega cricket property every six months for the next 8 years," Venkateish said
"Along with the existing England and Australia cricket rights this gives us a great spread of quality cricketing action for the discerning Indian cricket fan," he said.
"The T20 Champions League rights are a result of our overall strategy of acquiring key properties of tactical importance across all sports categories," he said.
Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland and his South African counterpart Gerald Majola also hailed the deal.
"With ESPN STAR Sports as our Commercial Rights Partner we are now certain this fantastic new competition will reach discerning cricket fans across the globe.
"The Champions League Twenty20 will build on the success of domestic Twenty20 leagues in Australia and elsewhere in a manner which accelerates the development of cricket globally," he said.
"Now with ESPN STAR Sports as our global Commercial Rights Partner I think that the benefits of this global event will flow down to the interstate cricket level in Australia and in other participant nations, and greatly enhance cricket at the grass roots level, particularly for state-level players who get the chance to pit their skills against players from around the world," he added.
Majola said, "Having ESPN STAR Sports as our Champions League global Commercial Rights Partner will significantly enhance the international stature of the Champions League Twenty20 and encourage the pipeline of cricket development from the club, affiliate and franchise levels through to the international arenas.
"I am sure the global broadcast of the Champions League Twenty20 will ignite the passion of cricket lovers the world over."
The prize money of USD 6 million, will be shared between the teams and their players.
Eight teams, consisting of the reigning winners and runners-up from the domestic Twenty20 competitions in India, Australia and South Africa, plus the winners of 2008 Twenty20 championships (to be held in October 2008) from Pakistan, and the reigning Twenty20 Cup champion from England, Middlesex, have been invited to contest the 2008 Champions League Twenty20.
The tournament will be contested by 12 teams in the second edition to be held between September 25 and October 10, 2009.