ESPN secures cricket rights

Sports channel ESPN has struck a four-year agreement with the International Cricket Council to broadcast digital on-demand highlights of all ICC events to be staged between the 2016-2019 period in the UK and Ireland.

The agreement will allow ESPN to show in-progress, pre-match and post-match highlights across all ESPN branded websites and mobile apps.

The package includes the digital rights to the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2016, ICC World Twenty20 India 2016, ICC Champions Trophy 2017, ICC Women’s World Cup 2017, ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2018, ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier, ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2018 and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.

 As part of the deal, ESPNcricinfo, the channel’s cricket website, and UK sport website ESPN.co.uk, will feature near-live highlight clips through ESPN’s live match scorecard service. The in-play content will be complemented by full match highlights, up to five minutes in length, as well pre and post-event content provided by the ICC.

Charly Classen, vice-president and general manager, ESPN, Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “We are extremely proud of our coverage of international and domestic cricket, and are delighted we can expand that coverage with near-live in-match clips and full post-match highlights from the biggest tournaments in the sport. We are thrilled to expand on our longstanding relationship with the International Cricket Council in the UK and Republic of Ireland. With these highlights alongside our ball-by-ball coverage, ESPN will be offering cricket fans the perfect way to follow all of the action from the upcoming ICC World T20 and beyond.”