ESPN STAR Sports has reached a multi-year broadcast rights agreement for exclusive coverage of the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) cricket in India.
The multi-year deal includes a minimum of 24 T20 matches per season. The first edition of the SLPL will see seven provisional teams compete for the trophy as well as a qualifier berth to the Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) to be held later this year.
The SLPL will feature 42 international players participating from seven countries. STAR Cricket, STAR Sports and ESPN will broadcast all the matches live and exclusive in India starting on 11 August 2012.
ESPN STAR Sports’ broadcast rights agreement also includes live coverage of the SLPL in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Nepal, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand
Peter Hutton, MD of ESPN STAR Sports, said: “We are delighted to be able to telecast the live matches of the SLPL in India and throughout the region. It is an excellent addition to STAR Cricket’s remarkable catalogue of content in the next year, headlined by India’s home series against Pakistan, England and New Zealand, the ICC World T20, the Champions League T20 and the ICC Champions trophy.
“Sri Lanka cricket becomes the 6th cricket body with whom we are working on the shortest form of the game. Our coverage of Australia’s Big Bash and the T20 leagues in England and Bangladesh have already shown our commitment to the format, and we look to further growing our live cricket content.”