ESPN-Star gets broadcasting rights for ICC cricket matches

ESPN-Star is a joint venture between Walt Disney and News Corp and the company has now said that they have won the broadcast rights to matches of the International Cricket Council.

These rights are for 18 ICC tournaments from late 2007 to 2015 and are for both audio and visual feeds.

ICC said that these rights have been sold for a sum “significantly in excess” of the ICC’s previous commercial deal.

Media sources claim that the value of this deal could be in between $1 billion-$1.1 billion.

Sony Entertainment Television currently owns the right for the matches till the 2007 World Cup and they had paid around $250 million for a period of four years.

Some other parties who had bided for these matches included Zee Telefilms, Taj Television and Nimbus Communications.