Viacom18 has bagged the exclusive TV and digital rights for the Abu Dhabi T10 league. The deal was facilitated by sports management firm RISE Worldwide and will see Viacom18’s multiyear partnership with Abu Dhabi T10 league which will further enhance cricketing action in India.
The league for the past few seasons has been broadcasted LIVE on Sony Sports Network & will now be showcased LIVE on Colors Cineplex SD (Hindi), Colors Cineplex HD (English), Rishtey Cineplex (Hindi), over the top (OTT) platform Voot and Jio.
Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Head of Hindi mass entertainment and kids TV network, Viacom 18 said, “Sporting events have always attracted a wide spectrum of audiences and we have been successfully experimenting with sports content on our network. The Abu Dhabi T10 collaboration is a bold step in further enhancing our sports content mix and we are hopeful it will help us expand our viewer and sponsor base.”
Matthew Boucher, Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Cricket said, “Broadcasting the Abu Dhabi T10 to homes in the Indian Subcontinent on one of the leading television and streaming channels in the country makes this media agreement truly unique as global multi-platform viewership is a priority for us as a host destination partner.”
He further added, “Together with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Department of Culture & Tourism Abu Dhabi, we are thrilled to continually evolve the Abu Dhabi T10 into an event that drives growing audiences every year – digitally and otherwise.”
The T10 league is set to start in Abu Dhabi on November 19 and will see a total of eight teams participating in over 34 matches being played for 90 minutes each.
It is worth noting that Reliance-owned Network 18 had also acquired the rights of La Liga for the Indian Sub-Continent. Reliance has emerged as one of the key players in the Indian Sports industry & with talks of their entry into sports broadcasting, they may rule the industry in the future.