ITV

Tag: Cricket Broadcast

  • Sony Sports Network secures PCB and PSL exclusive broadcast rights

    Sony Sports Network secures PCB and PSL exclusive broadcast rights

    MUMBAI: Sony Sports Network has once again raised the stakes in live cricket broadcasting, securing exclusive television rights for the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) home matches and the highly anticipated 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL). With this move, Sony cements its position as the go-to destination for cricket lovers across the Indian subcontinent, offering fans over 1,800 hours of live cricket in 2025.

    This broadcasting deal covers all of Pakistan’s home bilateral series, a tri-nation tournament, and the full 34-match PSL season, making it a significant addition to Sony’s ever-expanding cricket coverage. The television rights are exclusive for India, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, and Myanmar, while in Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka, Sony will broadcast the matches on a non-exclusive basis.

    The agreement kicked off with the recently concluded tri-nation ODI series featuring Pakistan, New Zealand, and south Africa. Fans can now look forward to a jam-packed cricket calendar on Sony Sports Network, which will air the following series in 2025:

    . Pakistan Super League (April – May): 34 matches

    .  Pakistan vs. Bangladesh (May): 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is

    .  Pakistan vs. Afghanistan (August): 3 T20Is

    .  Pakistan vs. Ireland (September): 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is

    .  Pakistan vs. south Africa (October): 2 Tests, 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is

    .  Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka (November): 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is

    With the addition of PCB’s broadcasting rights, Sony Sports Network continues to bolster its cricket programming, which already includes rights for New Zealand Cricket, England and Wales Cricket Board, Sri Lanka Cricket, and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). This latest deal further solidifies Sony’s dominance in the cricket broadcasting landscape, bringing fans even more live-action and archival content, including classic India vs. Pakistan encounters.

    Commenting on the acquisition, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) CRO – distribution and international business & head – sports business, Rajesh Kaul  stated, “Sony Sports Network’s key goals includes delivering the best cricketing action to our viewers.  To that end, we are continuously enhancing our cricket offerings, and 2025 is set to be a landmark year with over 1800 hours of live cricket on Sony Sports Network. Through this deal, we also have access to great archival content that includes Pakistan vs India matches that we will also showcase on our network. The acquisition of the Pakistan Cricket Board rights along with New Zealand Cricket, England and Wales Cricket Board, Sri Lanka Cricket and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) positions us as the premier destination for cricket in India.”

    With this strategic acquisition, Sony Sports Network is all set to offer an uninterrupted cricketing experience, making it a must-watch hub for fans in 2025. Whether it’s the thrill of PSL, gripping bilateral series, or nostalgic archival showdowns, Sony is ensuring that cricket lovers never miss a moment of the action.

     

  • Raj TV in deal with Neo Sports for Bangladesh series

    Raj TV in deal with Neo Sports for Bangladesh series

    MUMBAI: In a first-ever deal, a sports broadcaster has tied up with a regional network to telecast live cricket in language feed.

    Neo Sports will supply Raj Television Network Ltd. feed in Tamil and Telugu for the India Bangladesh cricket series which kicks off on 10 May.

    The telecast will be on Raj TV and Vissa TV, the Tamil and Telugu channels. The cricket series comprises three one-dayers and two Test matches.

    The cricket feed will include the Neo Sports logo bug and will present an advertising opportunity for local advertisers and brands to ride on live India cricket.

    Says Neo Sports Broadcast CEO Shashi Kalathil, “Cricket viewership In Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh is lesser than the Hindi Speaking markets while the overall consumption of local regional TV programmes is very high. It has always been our strategic intent to cater specifically to this large audience bringing value to both the viewer & advertiser.”

    Raj TV COO creative Raju Easwaran said, ” Cricket is the only true national passion which enjoys the same following across the length & breadth of the country. This innovation around cricket is sure to capture the imagination & fancy of the cricket lovers on Raj TV & Vissa TV. We expect unprecedented ratings on the back of our strong channel reach & penetration coupled with the viewer friendly regional commentary around what should be a very exciting series”

    “In what is now seen as a “fresh start” for Team India and in the backdrop of the World Cup result, the Bangladesh tour is also being billed as a revenge series of sorts, resulting in heightened interest nationally.”

    Meanhwhile the live coverage on Neo Sports will include a pre, mid and post match show specifically targetting the youth viewer, called Extra Cover. It features talent like Rohan Gavaskar and Hrishikesh Kanitkar for the first time on international cricket broadcast. Adding a further dimension to the coverage, Neo Sports has signed two well known TV anchors Archana Vijaya and Neha Sareen.

    While Archana would bring to the fore, the pulse of the Indian cricket fan via interviews, vox pops etc. Neha will demystify the statistical aspects of the game with her inherent flair for numbers, being an economics graduate from Ohio University. All this, in a first for Indian sports television, will be enhanced with cutting edge virtual graphics using the very latest that technology can offer, now available to Neo Sports at their new virtual studios at Malad, Mumbai.

  • Last-ditch attempt on for cricket broadcast on DD, AIR

    Last-ditch attempt on for cricket broadcast on DD, AIR

    NEW DELHI: With talks breaking down between Prasar Bharati and Nimbus Sports on sharing the live feed of the India-West Indies and the India- Sri Lanka ODI series to be played over the next four weeks, the national broadcaster today indicated that it will make a last-ditch attempt in the interest of them viewers to call Nimbus back to the negotiating table.

    Information and broadcasting ministry sources told indiantelevision.com that in case no agreement was reached, the government may issue an ordinance to implement the Downlinking/Uplinking Guidelines issued by the ministry in November 2005.

    The guidelines make it compulsory for sports telecast rights holder channels to share the live feed of important sporting events with Doordarshan and AIR by entering into a commercial agreement. The terms provide for revenue sharing of 75:25 in favour of the rights holders.

    Prasar Bharati said that negotiations which had been going on for two days had broken down in view of new conditions laid down by Nimbus Sports, the rights holders for the BCCI organized cricket events in India, which were unacceptable to the national broadcaster.

    Prasar Bharati and Nimbus Sports had entered into an agreement in February 2006 for telecast of the India –England series. Prasar Bharati had preferred another agreement on similar lines. But the national broadcaster said Nimbus put forward new conditions – which deviated from the Uplinking/Downlinking Guidelines and were unacceptable to Prasar Bharati.

    Nimbus suggested a 15 minute deferred telecast on Doordarshan’s terrestrial channel referred ‘AS LIVE’. Thus, people having Cable TV would get live feed on NEO SPORTS and those watching DD will see it 15 minutes later.

    This proposal was straightaway rejected by Prasar Bharati CEO BS Lalli who said “it is unacceptable to divide the citizens into two categories – one getting to eat freshly baked bread and others stale stuff.”

    “Equity and propriety demands that uniform clean feed of international quality is made available to all viewers,” he added.

    Nimbus also suggested exclusion of Doordarshan’s free-to-air DTH – DD Direct Plus from the live feed sharing agreement. But the Guidelines cover DTH medium as well.

    Prasar Bharati has been demanding sharing of feed to enable universal viewing of cricket matches. Doordarshan’s terrestrial channel – DD National – has three times higher viewership than the number one satellite channel in the country, according to the Indian Readership Survey 2006.

    With no breakthrough, 55 million terrestrial TV homes, DTH households and cable homes without Set Top Boxes in CAS implemented areas will not be able to watch the Indian team in action against the Caribbeans and the Lankans.

    Prasar Bharati had asked Nimbus Sports to at least allow broadcast of commentary on All India Radio to enable millions of radio listeners to catch latest score, but Nimbus said: “If there is no agreement on Television, there can be no agreement on radio either.”