Disney Star Licences ICC Indian Men’s Cricket TV Rights to ZEE
Disney Star has licenced Indian television broadcasting rights for men’s and under-19 tournaments conducted by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd for four years.
Last week, Disney Star had retained both digital and television rights from 2024 through 2027. ZEE was a bidder for those rights, Variety understands. Earlier, Disney Star had ceded digital rights to the lucrative Indian Premier League cricket tournament to a consortium led by billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Viacom18 and had retained only television rights.
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Disney Star will continue to be the exclusive home for streaming of all ICC tournaments in India via streamer Disney+ Hotstar. ICC has in-principle approved this arrangement, Disney Star said.
ZEE will now be the exclusive Indian television rights holder of ICC men’s events, including the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (2024, 2026), ICC Men’s Champions Trophy (2025), and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup (2027) along with several ICC under-19 events.
Punit Goenka, MD and CEO, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. said: “This is a first-of-its-kind partnership in the Indian media and entertainment landscape, and this association with Disney Star reflects our sharp, strategic vision for the sports business in India. As a one-stop television destination for ICC men’s cricket events until 2027, ZEE will leverage the strength of its network to offer a compelling experience for its viewers and a great return on investment for its advertisers. Long-term profitability and value-generation continue to be our areas of focus across the business, and we will always evaluate all the necessary steps that will enable us to make sports a compelling value proposition for the company. We look forward to working with ICC and Disney Star, to enable this strategic offering for our television viewers in India.”
K. Madhavan, country manager and president, Disney Star, added: “By securing the IPL television broadcast rights for 2023-27 and now opting to retain only the digital rights for ICC tournaments for 2024-27, we have in place a balanced and robust cricket offering for our audiences across linear and digital. Over the years, Disney Star has strengthened the appeal of international cricket in India, enabling it to reach diverse age groups and cultural demographics across all parts of the country. As India’s leading media house, we will continue to do so with our strong portfolio of cricket properties across television and digital.”
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