ESPN STAR Sports has bagged the media rights for the Champions League Twenty20.
MUMBAI: ESPN STAR Sports has bagged the media rights for the Champions League Twenty20.
The ESS, also the holders of the ICC’s television rights, has got the rights for 10 years for $ 900 million. It now holds the exclusive global commercial rights for all the matches in the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 season, due to be held from December 3 to 10, 2008, and for all further Champions League Twenty20 seasons until 2017.
According to a release here on Wednesday, the winning bid makes the Champions League Twenty20 the highest value cricket tournament on a per game basis. There were also bids from Abu Dhabi Sports Club and DIC. The bids were opened in Dubai. While DIC’s bid was US $ 751.3 million, Abu Dhabi Sports Club’s bid was disqualified for being a conditional bid.
Interestingly, ESS got the rights for a tournament which had to be postponed in September because of its objection. ESPN-Star had then contended that the football style tournament was not in conformity with the ICC guidelines and was in close proximity to the Champions Trophy. The Champions Trophy was also later postponed.
Said Lalit Modi, chairman of IPL, “We are delighted that after a fair and transparent process, we have what we believe to be the best commercial deal for the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 season and for cricket fans across the world. All the bids received were of a very high standard and we would like to thank all of the organisations that participated and for their submissions.”
Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India rejected the holding of the Champions Trophy in October 2009 because of clash of date with the home ODI series against Australia. BCCI made its opposition to the Champions Trophy dates in the ICC’s Chief Executives meeting in Wednesday’s meeting and the matter will be discussed in the ICC Board meeting tomorrow. “We have said that the Champions Trophy in October will not be possible for us since we are hosting Australia at that time,” BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah was quoted as saying by the a website.
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