Disney Star wins ICC media rights for next 4-year cycle in a close-loop bid

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday announced Disney Star as the winner of the sale of media rights for the 2023-31 cycle, following a closed-loop bid process in Dubai on Friday. A closed loop means that the bid submission was in sealed envelopes.

Disney Star won the deal following a single round sealed bid process and will be the home of all ICC cricket in India for the next four years. In June 2022, Disney Star retained the IPL television rights for Rs 3,575 crore ( Rs 57.5 crore per game).

“We are delighted to continue to partner with Disney Star as the home of ICC cricket for the next four years which has delivered an outstanding result for our Members and will support our ambitious growth plans," said Greg Barclay, Chairman of ICC. 

Multiple events, including sixteen men’s events (for eight years) and six women’s events (for four years), are at combined value of over $4 billion, according to media industry experts. The package also includes Under-19 matches and digital rights to make it attractive for over-the-top (OTT) players.

With the acquisition of the ICC Digital and TV broadcast rights, Disney Star has further strengthened its status as the premier destination for marquee cricket events in the country, said K Madhavan, Country Manager & President, Disney Star.

Broadcasters Disney-Star, Sony, Zee and Viacom18 had submitted their bids, after protesting about the lack of transparency in a closed-loop exercise. Amazon, while initially showing interest to bid for the rights, was not part of the process on Friday.