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MUMBAI:
ESPN Star Sports (ESS) and ESPN International have entered
into a cricket distribution agreement for Latin America to
carry top ICC events and the Champions League Twenty20 through
2015.
This
will be the first time that these events will be presented
in the region, ESS said.
The
International Cricket Council (ICC) agreement is a four-year
deal from 2012 to 2015 and covers several ICC events, including
the global showpiece of the cricket calendar, the 2015 ICC
Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Under
the agreement, ESPN International will carry the events in
English via ESPN Play (WatchESPN in Brazil), ESPN's broadband
network that offers live and on demand sports video across
the region.
The
upcoming cricket coverage includes the ICC Under 19 Cricket
World Cup in Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville, Australia from
August 10-25; the ICC World Twenty 20 in Sri Lanka from September
18-October 7; and the Karbonn Champions League Twenty20 in
October.
The
Karbonn Champions League Twenty20 agreement is a three-year
deal covering 2013-2015. The event brings the best club teams
from top cricket playing nations, including the West Indies,
Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa, together
in one of the major cricket competitions worldwide.
Organisers
have announced that Pakistan and other nations will be added
this year. The fourth edition of this marquee tournament will
be held in South Africa later this year across four venues
- Centurion, Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town - and will
feature a total of 14 teams and 29 matches.
"It
is our endeavour to work along with our partners in taking
the game of cricket to new markets and new audiences and we
are delighted to have succeeded in securing the first ever
broadcast partnerships for the ICC events and the Champions
League Twenty20 in South America," said ESPN Star Sports
senior VP corporate development & cricket rights Anurag
Dahiya.
ICC
Chief Executive David Richardson said, "The ICC is extremely
pleased to have a committed partner in ESPN Star Sports, which
has helped further extend the reach of this tournament by
continually setting new standards in global distribution and
coverage of cricket. I'm confident that these broadcast partnerships
will grow the popularity of the game in this emerging market
and assist in unlocking the undoubted potential to raise the
profile of cricket to new audiences."
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