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Tag: Cricket Ireland

  • European T20 Premier League gets ICC nod

    European T20 Premier League gets ICC nod

    MUMBAI: There’s one more international T20 cricket league coming the way of fans of the willow. And it’s coming from where else, Europe, the one bunch of cricket playing nations,  that had been left out of the action. so far. 

    Called the European T20 Premier League  (ETPL) it is to be held from 15 July to 3 August 2025. The league got the sanction from cricket’s global ruling body the International Cricket Council on 4 January.

    The ETPL is a privately-owned franchise tournament with a unique twist – it is a partnership between three cricket nations – Ireland (Cricket Ireland), Scotland  (Cricket Scotland) and the Netherlands (Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Bond – KNCB). This collaborative approach gives the ETPL  a true European feel and will feature the best talent from those three nations playing alongside some of the best talent from around the world.

    The three cricketing boards  had tried to put together a tournament called the Euro T20 Slam in March 2019 but it had failed to take off. Not even one season was held. Hence, the trio are being a lot more careful now. They have put together an interim working group with a representative from each of them, strategic partner Rules Sport Tech, on behalf of the funding partners,  to guide decision making and oversee the  creation of a new administrative body to run the event. Cricket Ireland  chief executive Warren Deutrom has been elected chair of the interim working group. 

    Said  Deutrom:  “We are delighted to confirm the ICC sanction of the ETPL and agreements are now in place across the joint venture partners. This is an important day in the development of the event, as it effectively fires the starting pistol on work around three important areas – franchise ownership, broadcast and the player draft. These are exciting times for cricket in Europe, and for local cricket fans, as we showcase some of the best cricket talent from Europe and around the world.”

    A formal launch of the tournament and further details will be provided in due course, he added. 

  • FanCode expects India West Indies series to grow its user base to 100 mn sports fans

    FanCode expects India West Indies series to grow its user base to 100 mn sports fans

    MUMBAI: Last year the Dream Sports owned digital platform FanCode had taken the media rights for the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) till 2024. The Indian cricket team will play West Indies in an eight match series comprising three ODIs and five Twenty20 Internationals. The series runs from 22 July – 7 August 2022. 

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com FanCode co-founder Yannick Colaco highlighted the importance of matches being played during primetime. “We expect the event to grow our FanCode user base to 100 million sports fans.”

    The platform is being innovative in terms of its pricing. He explains that the focus has always rested on subscription packaging being inclusive and easily accessible for sports fans across the country. “For the India tour, fans will get to watch the entire tour of three ODIs and five T20s by paying just Rs 99. Fans will also be able to take a monthly subscription of FanCode, which will include events like The Hundred, and other cricket internationals featuring New Zealand, Bangladesh, Pakistan & Zimbabwe, in addition to the India West Indies tour for Rs 199. First, we are also creating an “ad free” premium subscription, where users will get to watch each match without ads for the price of Rs 159,” he explains.

    He further noted that the Caribbean is home to some of the most entertaining cricket played in the world. “Our partnership with Cricket West Indies is a comprehensive one, which includes close to 400 matches from the Caribbean featuring some of world cricket’s biggest and brightest stars, over a four year period. The partnership has allowed us to give millions of cricket fans in India the opportunity to experience FanCode and the many digital innovations we are bringing to fans in redefining their sports consumption experience.”

    He goes on to note that FanCode is the first-ever digital-only platform to host an India bilateral series and the entire coverage of the event will be customised for digital audiences. The aim he noted is to put the fan first. “Fans will now have the ability to choose the highlights they want to watch with the “real time highlights” feature, access real time stats like wagon wheels, manhattans, etc., through interactive overlays on the “Match Hub” and choose their commentator of choice.”

    FanCode, as had been reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, has sublicensed the broadcast rights to DD Sports. It marks the first time in over two decades that the pubcaster will air India cricket exclusively. “We are laser focused on providing great user experiences and solving for accessibility gaps that fans have in sports consumption & experience. DD Sports reach in smaller cities and towns is unbeatable, making it the ideal partner to help broadcast the tour on linear television while we continue to build a superior digital experience for fans nationally” he said.

    Talking about cricket properties that FanCode has besides WICB, he said that the platform also has partnerships with the English Cricket Board, New Zealand Cricket, the ICC, Afghanistan Cricket Board, Zimbabwe Cricket, Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland, KNCB (Netherlands), Cricket Namibia and Malaysia Cricket. It is the exclusive partner for Vitality Blast, The Hundred, which are events done by the English Cricket Board. For the record, The Hundred is both a recently introduced event and a new format. There are 100 balls per innings for example.

    Also Read: FanCode & DD Sports partner for exclusive TV broadcast of India tour of West Indies

    It is also worth noting that Vitality Blast was established by the England & Wales Cricket Board in 2003 as the first professional Twenty20 league in the world. It was back when the concept of Twenty20 cricket was alien to India. Sharing his views on The Hundred, he said the format has been well thought out and is innovative in achieving its goal of engaging younger audiences better. “The response for the event last year was very positive and we expect the fan base for the event to grow exponentially this year.”

    FanCode is also the ICC exclusive partner for all Pathway (World Cup Qualifier) events. It is also the exclusive partner for the cricket boards in Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan. In addition to this, it is a partner for New Zealand’s Twenty20 competition Super Smash.

    When asked if viewership for non India cricket is growing, he said, “Sports fandom has grown exponentially in India, especially among the youth. What has been missing is the depth in coverage of non-India cricket events and an integrated experience for sports fans. We are constantly striving to solve both these fan problems & the response has already been tremendous, as evident by over 50 million sports fans who have used FanCode”.

  • Mobile Premier League (MPL) sponsors Ireland Men’s Cricket Team Jerseys

    Mobile Premier League (MPL) sponsors Ireland Men’s Cricket Team Jerseys

    NEW DELHI: With international cricket events coming back to the field, the global cricket community have joined hands to support and promote each other, in a show of unity. Mobile Premier League (MPL), India's largest esports and mobile gaming platform, has partnered with Cricket Ireland and ITW Consulting to sponsor the Irish Men's team jerseys for the upcoming One-Day International Series against England beginning July 30. As an Indian brand supporting the Ireland cricket team, MPL is reinforcing the love for the sport among Indian audiences, and the passion with which they follow international tournaments. Along with Skoda, the joint sponsor of the Irish team’s jerseys, the brand is confident of leveraging its individual reach, along with the goodwill Cricket Ireland enjoys, to create a global cricket empire. 

    MPL co-founder and CEO Sai Srinivas said, “As One-Day International cricket finally returns, we are glad to be a part of its comeback by associating with the Ireland Men’s cricket team when they take on England. MPL stands for unearthing and showcasing talent, which the Ireland team has an abundance of. We look forward to the upcoming three-match series excitedly."

    Cricket Ireland commercial director Dennis Cousins stated, “This deal is a testament to the growing strength and profile of the Cricket Ireland brand globally, and has already attracted two brand associations in MPL and ŠKODA that will add weight to our reputation in the sports market.”

    Furthering MPL’s drive to create a global cricket platform, the platform is also co-presenting sponsor for the broadcast of the ongoing England-West Indies Test Series. MPL is India’s largest esports and mobile gaming platform and is endorsed by Indian Cricket Captain Virat Kohli. The platform recently launched the first Indian-made First Person Shooter game Rogue Heist exclusively and has over 4 crore users.