Two of the leading Indian media conglomerates, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises (ZEE) and Disney Star have unveiled a strategic licensing agreement. In this association, Disney Star will license the TV broadcasting rights of the International Cricket Council‘s (ICC) men’s and under 19 (U-19) global events for four years to ZEE.
Disney Star will prolong to be the prime streaming destination of all ICC fixtures through its OTT platform, Disney+ Hotstar. The association has been approved by the ICC.
Following this arrangement, ZEE has received the privilege of being the exclusive TV rights holder of ICC men’s events, including the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (2024, 2026), ICC Men’s Champions Trophy (2025), and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup (2027) along with key ICC U-19 events.
Speaking about the strategic development, Mr Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. said, “This is a first-of-its-kind partnership in the Indian media & entertainment landscape, and this association with Disney Star reflects our sharp, strategic vision for the sports business in India. As a one-stop television destination for ICC men’s cricket events until 2027, ZEE will leverage the strength of its network to offer a compelling experience for its viewers and a great return on investment for its advertisers. Long-term profitability and value-generation continue to be our areas of focus across the business, and we will always evaluate all the necessary steps that will enable us to make sports a compelling value proposition for the Company. We look forward to working with ICC and Disney Star, to enable this strategic offering for our television viewers in India.”
Madhavan, Country Manager & President, Disney Star said, “By securing the IPL television broadcast rights for 2023-27 and now opting to retain only the digital rights for ICC tournaments for 2024-27, we have in place a balanced and robust cricket offering for our audiences across linear and digital. Over the years, Disney Star has strengthened the appeal of international cricket in India, enabling it to reach diverse age groups and cultural demographics across all parts of the country. As India’s leading media house, we will continue to do so with our strong portfolio of cricket properties across television and digital.”
Apart from the recently acquired ICC cricket rights, Disney Star’s lucrative sports media portfolio consists of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Cricket Australia (CA), Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Cricket South Africa (CSA), India Super League (ISL), English Premier League, and the Wimbledon Championship.