Disney Star to license exclusive television rights of ICC men's events to Zee

ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEE) and Disney Star announced on Tuesday that they have entered into a strategic licensing agreement by way of which Disney Star will license the television broadcasting rights of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Men’s and Under 19 (U-19) global events for a period of four years to ZEE.

Disney Star will continue to be the exclusive home for streaming of all ICC tournaments through its digital platform - Disney+ Hotstar. ICC has in-principle approved this arrangement.

This association enables ZEE to be the exclusive television rights holder of ICC men’s events, including the coveted 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 key ICC U-19 events.

Speaking about the strategic development, Mr Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd said, “This is a first-of-its-kind partnership in the Indian media & 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.”

Mr. K Madhavan, Country Manager & President, Disney Star, said, “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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For over three decades, ZEE has been a leading entertainment company, continually strengthening its position across markets by identifying newer avenues for growth and delivering value to stakeholders across the board.

With the ICC digital rights secured for the next four years, Disney Star retains its position as the Home of Sports in India. Its current portfolio also includes the television rights for IPL (2023-27), television and digital rights for Cricket Australia (2023-2030), television and digital BCCI rights (2023) and television and digital rights for Cricket South Africa (end of 2023-2024).

In addition to cricket, it also offers other major sports properties on its platforms including Pro Kabaddi League, Indian Super League, the Wimbledon Championship and the English Premier League.

• India