Disney Star won the broadcast and digital rights of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) global events in India for the 2024-27 cycle but decided to license part of it to Zee Entertainment Enterprises.
In what was termed as a “masterstroke” arrangement by the industry experts, Disney Star retained the digital rights for ICC Men’s and U-19 tournaments and both digital and broadcast rights for ICC women’s events for the Indian market.
The ICC media rights deal, reported to be US$3.04b for just the India market, remained in the news for the one-of-a-kind arrangement between both Disney-Star and Zee. The move was looked at as Disney Star’s attempt to reduce the burden of the cost of the deal and also milk the digital component to its potential.
To everyone’s surprise, however, the “masterstroke” awaits its first step. There were reports of a merger between Zee and Sony for the broadcast rights but neither the merger happened nor any progress has been made in that regard.
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Zee is yet to hand Disney-Star a bank guarantee for the deal and as things stand, there is just a contract between ICC and Disney Star and a joint press release from Disney and Zee, announcing the new arrangement, on the table. And, the Zee-Sony merger is yet to be concluded.
“This is a first-of-its-kind partnership in the Indian media and entertainment landscape, and this association with Disney Star reflects our sharp, strategic vision for the sports business 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,” Zee MD and CEO Punit Goenka had said in a statement.
Disney Star president K Madhavan had added: “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.
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“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.”
Since the release of the agreement, which got an “in-principle” approval from the global cricketing body, there has been no progress. The ongoing mess is one of the prime reasons why BCCI has delayed putting out its own bilateral media rights tender.
With every passing day, pressure is mounting on Disney as no matter what happens between Disney-Star and Zee, and then Zee and Sony, Disney-Star will be the one to put money on the table for the ICC.
What needs to be mentioned here, though, is also a fact that Disney’s previous rights cycle with the ICC is still on and will only conclude post the 2023 50-over World Cup.
A senior industry executive insists “There’s time”.
However, given the highly improbable costs at which Disney has bought the property, it’s no surprise why the cricket fraternity is looking at where this space is headed.
“If Zee-Sony combine doesn’t come on board as expected, Disney will take a bigger hit than what is being perceived. And what is being perceived right now is already a very bleak picture,” say those tracking developments.
The 2024-27 cycle features four men’s marquee events – 2 T20 World Cups (2024 and 2026), the 2025 Champions Trophy and the 2027 ODI World Cup. The 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup is already in troubled waters due to the infrastructure situation in the USA, who are the co-hosts of the event along with Cricket West Indies.
The event is likely to be moved out of the West Indies and USA and ICC could well request England, who are the hosts of the 2030 edition of the multi-nation tournament, to do a swap of sorts. Even if the event is staged in West Indies and USA, it isn’t a lucrative proposition for the broadcaster.