Melbourne, Jul 24 (IANS): Cricket Australia (CA) on Sunday announced a new association with Disney Star -- owned by The Walt Disney Company -- to broadcast Australian cricket throughout India and other territories across Asia.
The seven-year deal commencing in 2023-24 will see Disney Star televise men's and women's international matches played in Australia as well as the Big Bash League (BBL) and Women's BBL.
CA feels the channel's reach will provide "enormous exposure" for Australian cricket and for CA's commercial partners in the world's largest cricket market, which is Asia.
Disney Star also recently won the TV broadcast rights for the T20 Indian Premier League from 2023-27. CA's alignment with the IPL broadcaster will ensure multiple benefits including widespread cross promotion of the BBL.
"We are delighted to announce this new association with Disney Star from season 2023-24 onwards. Disney Star is synonymous with the game in India and we look forward to working with them to showcase the outstanding cricket played in Australia every summer," said Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley.
"The magnitude of this association is testament to the enduring rivalry and respect that exists between Australian and Indian teams, the excitement and popularity of WBBL and BBL, and the high regard of Australian cricket in India and global markets more broadly.
"There was significant interest in our rights and we are very grateful to our current rights holder Sony for their partnership which will continue throughout this season," he added.
"Cricket Australia represents some of the best content that the world of cricket has to offer, be it the standard of cricket played, the popularity of Aussie cricketers, the rivalries and narratives or the context of playing in front of expressive crowds and in tough conditions," said Disney Star, head of sports, Sanjog Gupta.
"Disney Star has been delighting millions of Indian fans by showcasing marquee cricket across our linear and digital platforms. Some of the most memorable moments for Indian fans have been produced in Australia and we look forward to elevating many more such moments with our unique brand of story-telling, programming, local activations and tech-enabled experiences in association with Cricket Australia," he added.