ESPN STAR Sports has secured the ten-year commercial rights for the Champions League Twenty20.
The deal gives ESPN STAR Sports the exclusive Global Commercial Rights for all the matches in the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 season, due to be held from December 3 to 10, 2008, and for all further Champions League Twenty20 seasons until 2017.
The Commercial Rights were won by ESPN STAR Sports with a bid of US$900 million. This makes the Champions League Twenty20 the highest value cricket tournament on a per game basis.
Bids were also received from Abu Dhabi Sports Club and DIC for what is viewed as the most exciting sporting extravaganza for cricket fans all over the world. All the bids were opened in Dubai. While DIC's bid was US$751.3 million, Abu Dhabi Sports Club's bid was disqualified for being a conditional bid.
Lalit Modi, Chairman and Commissioner, Indian Premier League said, "We are absolutely delighted that after a fair and transparent process, we have what we believe to be the best commercial deal for the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 season and for cricket fans across the world. All the bids received were of a very high standard and we would like to thank all of the organisations that participated and for their submissions."
Manu Sawhney, Managing Director Asia, ESPN Star Sports said, ""We're extremely pleased at having won the Global Commercial Rights to the new and exciting Champions League Twenty20. This is a testament to our commitment to the game of cricket and fans as we cement our relationship with the BCCI, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa. Through our television channels - ESPN, STAR Sports & STAR Cricket, our website www.espnstar.com, and our wireless platforms mobileESPN and STAR Sports Mobile, we are confident of taking the Champions League Twenty20 to new heights by working along with the various partners involved and are committed to set new benchmarks in the broadcast and distribution, such that fans of this crowd-pulling format can look forward to an exciting time when the league begins this December."
James Sutherland, Chief Executive Officer of Cricket Australia, said, "With ESPN STAR Sports as our Commercial Rights Partner we are now certain this fantastic new competition will reach discerning cricket fans across the globe. The Champions League Twenty20 will build on the success of domestic Twenty20 leagues in Australia and elsewhere in a manner which accelerates the development of cricket globally. Now with ESPN Star Sports as our global Commercial Rights Partner I think that the benefits of this global event will flow down to the interstate cricket level in Australia and in other participant nations, and greatly enhance cricket at the grass roots level, particularly for state-level players who get the chance to pit their skills against players from around the world."
Gerald Majola, Chief Executive of Cricket South Africa, said, "Having ESPN STAR Sports as our Champions League global Commercial Rights Partner will significantly enhance the international stature of the Champions League Twenty20 and encourage the pipeline of cricket development from the club, affiliate and franchise levels through to the international arenas. I am sure the global broadcast of the Champions League Twenty20 will ignite the passion of cricket lovers the world over."
The three founding member boards had already announced the dates for the inaugural edition of the 2008 Champions League Twenty20 from 3rd – 10th December, 2008 inclusive. Eight teams, consisting of the reigning winners and runners-up from the domestic Twenty20 competitions in India, Australia and South Africa, plus the winners of 2008 Twenty20 championships (to be held in October 2008) from Pakistan, and the reigning Twenty20 Cup champion from England, Middlesex, have been invited to contest the 2008 Champions League Twenty20. The tournament will be contested by 12 teams in year two between September 25 and October 10, 2009.
The prize money of US$6 million, will be shared between the teams and their players. The Governing Council of the event together with its founding cricket boards believes that the significant prize money to be shared by teams and players will ensure that the benefits of the event will foster cricket's development by injecting new funding into domestic-level cricket and at the same time will handsomely reward domestic-level cricketers and provide a unique opportunity for a higher public profile for players at the level below international cricket.
Courtesy : ESPNSTAR.com
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