ESPN+, Cricket West Indies Agree to Five-Year Rights Deal

[leonidas_alexandar]

ST JOHN’S, Antigua — Cricket West Indies (CWI) has finalized a groundbreaking new five-year deal with ESPN+ for the exclusive media and digital rights in the United States to all West Indies international home matches and regional tournaments.

CWI President Ricky Skerritt said: “This is CWI’s largest ever media rights agreement in the USA and is the first of several new multi-year agreements which we will confirm in the coming weeks. Broadcast media rights income is crucial to the future financial sustainability of CWI, and this five-year rights agreement is just the start of good things to come.”

CWI’s media partnership with ESPN, North America’s largest sports broadcaster, will bring West Indies cricket to millions of households and viewers across the United States through the ESPN+ sports streaming service.

The ESPN+ partnership will feature live broadcast of every international West Indies home series covering all T20 Internationals, One-Day Internationals and Test matches within the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Future Tours Programme (FTP). Commencing with the all-format Tour of the Caribbean by Sri Lanka in March, ESPN+ first year will feature series against South Africa, Australia and Pakistan in 2021 building to five home series in 2022 including tours by England and India.

The new agreement also includes CWI’s marquee regional 50-over tournament, the CG Insurance Super50 Cup, which is also aired exclusively in the Caribbean by ESPN.

The CG Insurance Super50 Cup will be the first live cricket from the West Indies in the partnership, as the biggest regional rivalries and world class players take the stage from February 7 to 27 at the Coolidge Cricket Ground and the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua

Johnny Grave, CWI’s CEO said: “ESPN is THE sports channel for American households and sports fans and we’re delighted that West Indies cricket will now be enjoyed in the homes and on the devices of millions of Americans. We have an ambitious strategic plan to grow our brand and content in North America, and ESPN is the perfect partner to help us achieve our goals.”

“Cricket West Indies is among the best in the world and their ICC schedule over the next few years is second to none,” said John Lasker, Vice President, ESPN Digital Media Programming. “Adding a strong slate of CWI events to ESPN+ is just the latest example of our commitment to cricket and serving fans with the best, most comprehensive cricket content in the U.S.”

 

[leonidas_alexandar]

For all the US cricket fans - after exclusive rights to all International and domestic games in New Zealand - ESPN+ added West Indies to their kitty. At last my ESPN+ subscription is proving to be fruitful as far as cricket coverage is concerned.

 

[Savak]

Espn+ has deep pockets. They must have paid a pretty decent sum. That said who would pay that kind of money to watch West Indies Cricket

 

[Slog]

Espn+ has deep pockets. They must have paid a pretty decent sum. That said who would pay that kind of money to watch West Indies Cricket

Why are you assuming it’s a big sum?

 

[Markhor]

WICB badly need the revenue. Good news.

 

[mazkhan]

Espn in UK i believe is on bt sport.

 

[Gotham Cronie]

For all the US cricket fans - after exclusive rights to all International and domestic games in New Zealand - ESPN+ added West Indies to their kitty. At last my ESPN+ subscription is proving to be fruitful as far as cricket coverage is concerned.

So I believe ESPN+ has rights to the home series of...

West Indies
New Zealand
Bangladesh
Ireland

Does that sound right?

 

[SensiblePakFan]

This is a big deal, Willow for once doesnt have rights to a Cricket team.

 

[Gotham Cronie]

This is a big deal, Willow for once doesnt have rights to a Cricket team.

They don't have rights to New Zealand, Bangladesh, or Ireland either.

 

[leonidas_alexandar]

So I believe ESPN+ has rights to the home series of...

West Indies
New Zealand
Bangladesh
Ireland

Does that sound right?

Bangladesh - I definitely know that ESPN+ does not have the rights - only because I watch the highlights of the current/ongoing West Indies tour to Bangladesh on Willow.

So, New Zealand and West Indies international and domestic rights are the only ones I am aware of that ESPN+ has snapped up the rights of.

 

[MenInG]

ST JOHN’S, Antigua — Cricket West Indies (CWI) has signed a major five-year deal with BT Sport for the exclusive live coverage in the UK of all West Indies international home matches played in the Caribbean.

As part of the agreement, BT Sport will have rights to West Indies next international home series against England, scheduled for early 2022. This upcoming series will have added interest as it will be the first time that the two teams play the Richards-Botham Trophy Test Series — named in honour of Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Ian Botham — two of the greatest cricketers of all time. England's visits to the Caribbean are an iconic fixture in the international cricket calendar and regularly attract one of the largest live TV cricket audiences in the UK.

CWI President Ricky Skerritt said: “On behalf of CWI, and all who helped make this deal come together, I am delighted to announce one of our largest ever broadcast rights agreements in the form of this unprecedented partnership with BT Sport. Our tour to England last year helped to remind us how strong the West Indies brand continues to be in the UK, and we thank BT Sport for so highly valuing West Indies cricket by committing their broadcast support over the next five years. I am especially pleased that, in partnership with ESPN, BT Sport will also show much of the upcoming CG Insurance Super50 Cup which starts next Sunday, 7th February.”

As well as England’s tour to the Caribbean in 2022, BT Sport will have access to a packed schedule of exciting international cricket from the West Indies in 2021 on its sport channels and across its digital platforms, starting with Sri Lanka, who they face across all formats in March before the tours to the Caribbean by South Africa, Australia and Pakistan over the course of June, July and August. With start times in the late afternoons and early evenings, cricket lovers across the UK will be able to watch the world’s top players and teams in action without having to set their alarms or stay up through the night.

Johnny Grave, CWI CEO commented: “The first ever Richards-Botham Trophy in March 2022 will be an eagerly anticipated Test Series, not just for our fans in the UK hailing from the Caribbean, but also to the many UK sports and cricket fans who will be able to watch live on their TV or mobile devices after school or work. West Indies home series are the second most watched cricket in the UK after England’s home matches, and this agreement ensures that the best action from the Caribbean will be broadcast in an extremely important sports and tourism market for the region.”

Rachel Knight, Rights Director, BT Sport said; “We want to provide customers with the best sport from across the globe, so we are delighted to add the England men’s and women’s cricket teams to our line up. In addition to some hugely important and enticing Test and T20 International matches over the next 18 months, the new rights in New Zealand and West Indies will see the world’s top cricketers regularly on BT Sport.”

This is a long term agreement and has huge significance because the UK is the West Indies’ second largest commercial market, and where a large number of fans with West Indian heritage reside.

 

[Markhor]

Interesting, so Sky lose the West Indies home series too !