Disney Star has licensed its International Cricket Council (ICC)'s television rights to Zee as part of strategic licensing agreement.
Last week, Star had retained both the television and digital rights for the 2024-2027 cycle in the Indian subcontinent. But in a first-of-its-kind move, Disney Star has decided to just keep the exclusive rights, while sub-licensing the ICC men's tournaments to Zee for the four-year cycle.
Disney Star had bid $3 billion for the combined - TV and digital rights - and will now only air matches on digital platform.
This association enables Zee to be the exclusive television host of ICC tournaments - Men's T20 World Cup in 2024, 2026, Champions Trophy in 2025 and the 2027 World Cup along with key U-19 tournaments.
Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, Zee Entertainment 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," Goenka said in a statement.
This is a redemption of sorts for Zee, which was blacklisted by the BCCI and ICC following the launch of the Indian Cricket League in 2007.
A few months ago, both BCCI and Zee called it a truce, following which the company participated in IPL media rights bidding too.
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