Star Achieves Historic Win and Enters Into Cricket’s Biggest-Ever Global Broadcast Agreement with ICC

Star group announced winning the largest global cricket broadcast contract from International Cricket Council (ICC), thus continuing to be the home of cricket’s largest events for the next 8 years. The contract covers 6 major events including two back-to-back ICC Cricket World Cups. 

 

In all, the contract signed between ICC and the Star Group (including Star India and Star Middle East) provides for rights to 18 ICC tournaments including two ICC Cricket World Cups (2019 and 2023), two ICC Champions Trophy tournaments (2017 and 2021) and two ICC World Twenty20 tournaments (2016 and 2020).

 

Following a robust tender, bidding and evaluation process which started in July by ICC Business Corporation (IBC) Board, ICC’s commercial arm, STAR was selected over 17 other competitive bids from various broadcasters across different territories. The competitive sales process saw two rounds of bidding before contract was awarded to Star 

 

The network had held the rights for all of cricket’s marquee multinational events during the previous eight years and with this contract, it will continue doing so for the next eight years until 2023.

 

This deal reinforces Star’s outstanding reputation as a global sports broadcaster and reiterates its profound commitment to the game of cricket. With its unparalleled broadcast network within India and robust global broadcast partnerships, Star will continue to provide an unprecedented viewing experience to cricket fans across the world. 

 

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India, said: “We are delighted and honoured to extend our partnership with ICC. This is a tribute to Star's commitment and ICC's trust in our ability to take the great game of cricket to the next level. Star will constantly attempt to reinvent the viewer experience to make cricket bigger and bigger.”

 

Commenting on the decision to name Star India and Star Middle East as its successful bidders, ICC Chairman Mr N. Srinivasan said, “Star has an outstanding reputation as a sports broadcaster and has played an integral role in promoting and growing the game by taking coverage of ICC Events to a truly global and record-breaking audience. This commitment for the next eight years will ensure greater stability for ICC Members as well as increased funding for developing and established countries. The level of investment committed by Star shows that the game is stronger than ever before and hopefully with this financial stability for the next eight years, we can implement plans to strengthen and grow the game further, making it an even bigger and better global game.”

 

The following ICC major global events are included in the audio-visual rights packages:

ICC World Twenty20 2016 – India

ICC Champions Trophy 2017 - England and Wales

ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 - England and Wales

ICC World Twenty20 2020 – Australia

ICC Champions Trophy 2021 – India

ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 – India

 

ICC qualifying events:

ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015 - Ireland and Scotland

ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 – Bangladesh

ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2019 – TBC

ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2022 - Zimbabwe 

 

Other ICC events:

ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2016 – Bangladesh

ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 - England and Wales

ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2018 - New Zealand

ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2018 - West Indies

ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020 - South Africa

ICC Women’s World Cup 2021 - New Zealand

ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2022 - West Indies

ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2022 - South Africa