ZEE Entertainment, Disney Star sign agreement for TV rights of ICC men's events

ZEE Entertainment Enterprises and Disney Star on Tuesday said in a joint release that they have entered into a strategic licensing agreement. Disney Star will license the television broadcasting rights of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Men's and Under-19 (U-19) global events for a period of four years to ZEE, the release stated.

"Disney Star will continue to be the exclusive home for streaming of all ICC tournaments through its digital platform - Disney+ Hotstar. ICC has in-principle approved this arrangement," it added.

This would enable ZEE to be the exclusive television rights holder of ICC men’s events, including the coveted 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.

Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises said, "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.”

K Madhavan, Country Manager & President, Disney Star, said, "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.”

Disney Star's current portfolio also includes the television rights for IPL (2023-27), television and digital rights for Cricket Australia (2023-2030), television and digital BCCI rights (2023) and television and digital rights for Cricket South Africa (end of 2023-2024).

In addition to cricket, it also offers other major sports properties on its platforms including Pro Kabaddi League, Indian Super League, the Wimbledon Championship and the English Premier League.