Sony wins Asian sub-continent cricket rights for six years

Sony Entertainment said it has won the exclusive cable and satellite television rights for live telecasts of international cricket, including the next two World Cups, on the Asian sub-continent.

The contract will be for six years from 2002 to 2007.

Sony Entertainment said the rights included broadcasting the World Cups in 2003 and 2007, three International Cricket Council champions trophies and three under-19 cricket World Cups.

In India, the matches will be broadcast on Sony's own cable television channel, while in other countries the company is expected to tie-up with local broadcasters.

"From 2002 to 2007 the Sony Entertainment network will beam live over 315 one-day cricket matches into millions of homes across India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Singapore and Malaysia," Kunal Dasgupta, chief executive officer of Sony Entertainment said.

Asked for the price of the deal, Dasgupta would only say it was a "very big number."

"It is the single largest broadcast licensing deal in cricket as the Asian sub-continent market is the biggest cricketing market," he said.

The other bidders had included ESPN and Star television.

"The rights for other markets will be announced by next month as negotiations are still on," said Harish Thawani, co-chairman of World Sports Nimbus, which manages cricket on a global basis.