Cricket travels to Latin America with ESPN

MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports (ESS) and ESPN International have entered into a cricket distribution agreement for Latin America to carry top ICC events and the Champions League Twenty20 through 2015.

This will be the first time that these events will be presented in the region, ESS said.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) agreement is a four-year deal from 2012 to 2015 and covers several ICC events, including the global showpiece of the cricket calendar, the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Under the agreement, ESPN International will carry the events in English via ESPN Play (WatchESPN in Brazil), ESPN?s broadband network that offers live and on demand sports video across the region.

The upcoming cricket coverage includes the ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup in Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville, Australia from August 10-25; the ICC World Twenty 20 in Sri Lanka from September 18-October 7; and the Karbonn Champions League Twenty20 in October.

The Karbonn Champions League Twenty20 agreement is a three-year deal covering 2013-2015. The event brings the best club teams from top cricket playing nations, including the West Indies, Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa, together in one of the major cricket competitions worldwide.

Organisers have announced that Pakistan and other nations will be added this year. The fourth edition of this marquee tournament will be held in South Africa later this year across four venues - Centurion, Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town - and will feature a total of 14 teams and 29 matches.

"It is our endeavour to work along with our partners in taking the game of cricket to new markets and new audiences and we are delighted to have succeeded in securing the first ever broadcast partnerships for the ICC events and the Champions League Twenty20 in South America," said ESPN Star Sports senior VP corporate development & cricket rights Anurag Dahiya.

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said, "The ICC is extremely pleased to have a committed partner in ESPN Star Sports, which has helped further extend the reach of this tournament by continually setting new standards in global distribution and coverage of cricket. I?m confident that these broadcast partnerships will grow the popularity of the game in this emerging market and assist in unlocking the undoubted potential to raise the profile of cricket to new audiences."