Disney Star, the major Indian pay-TV broadcaster, has secured exclusive rights to four short-form cricket tournaments taking place over the next few months.
Star Sports will provide coverage in both English and in regional languages to the Zim Afro T10 (Zimbabwe), US Masters T10, Abu Dhabi T10, and Lanka T10 (Sri Lanka) tournaments.
The deal is a two-year affair, adding to what is an already-bulging portfolio of live cricket available on Star Sports.
It has been struck by Star with the T Ten Global sports promoter that is organizing the quartet of franchise tournaments. New and emerging franchise cricket leagues usually look to secure Indian broadcast rights as soon as possible, due to the popularity of cricket in that market and the lucrative opportunities it brings.
Nawab Shaji Ul Mulk, founder and chair at T Ten Global Sports, added: “We are very happy to welcome onboard Star Sports, who will be a big pillar of support for us as they will help take the sport to more fans across India. This association has the potential to become a game-changer for us, and Star Sports’ reach, coupled with dynamic cricket, is a very encouraging sign.”
The four tournaments run between now and late December, with the Zim Afro T10 having started over the weekend (September 21), and the final event, the Lanka T10, finishing up on December 22.
Star’s most prominent cricket deal at the moment is its agreement with the International Cricket Council covering the 2024-27 period.
That tie-up has a reported total value of $3 billion.
Star also covers the Indian Premier League domestic Twenty20 franchise tournament, again in a deal running through 2027.
T10 cricket, meanwhile, has been slowly growing in popularity and appeal over the last few years, ever since the Abu Dhabi tournament launched in 2017.
