| MUMBAI:
Dubai-based Taj Television, which runs Ten Sports, has bagged the three-year broadcast
rights for international cricket in South Africa. Taj
paid $70-75 million for the rights till 2011, sources tell Indiantelevision.com.
ESPN Star Sports' bid was the second highest. The
agreement includes India’s three test series, five ODIs and one twenty20
international in South Africa during 2010 and 2011. The deal represents an extension
to the short term arrangement between the parties for 2008. Ten
Sports will, thus, broadcast over 200 days of international cricket in 2009 alone
and now has agreements for the next four years with five of the 10 ICC full members
- Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Says
Taj TV CEO Chris McDonald," With this deal, Ten Sports viewers ranging from
continental Europe through to South East Asia and including the Indian sub-continent
will now be able to see a huge volume of quality international cricket over the
next four years. This adds to our recently signed long term contracts with WWE
for wrestling every day, and UEFA for the Champions League and the best of European
football.” | 
