Disney Star, Viacom 18, and Times Internet share global TV and digital rights

IPL

The IPL has sold its global media rights for the next five years for £5.13bn. 

Disney Star and Viacom 18 share the bulk of the rights for the next five seasons. Disney owned Star India picking up the TV rights for the subcontinent at £2.53bn, and Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani backed Viacom 18 receiving digital rights for the subcontinent plus TV and digital rights for the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa for the same price.

Meanwhile, Times Internet has picked up rights for the Middle East and USA for just under £50 million.

Overall, the £5.13bn is over double the just under £2bn that Disney Star paid for the previous five seasons. Some of this increase is due to rising numbers of games. The last deal was for 60-matches per season, while over the next five years the number will rise from 74 in 2023 to a maximum of 94 in 2027.

Rebecca Campbell, chairman - international content and operations at the Walt Disney Company said of Disney Star’s loss of digital rights: “We made disciplined bids with a focus on long-term value. We chose not to proceed with the digital rights given the price required to secure that package.

“We will be exploring other multiplatform cricket rights, including future rights for ICC and BCCI, which we currently hold through the 2023 and 2024 seasons respectively.”

The 2022 IPL was recently played between Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans, with a large augmented reality eagle taking to the skies as part of its broadcast.