Twenty20 World Cup broadcast rights across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have been acquired by telecommunications firm Etisalat.
Abu Dhabi-based Etisalat acquired the rights to the tournament from the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) global broadcast partner, Disney-owned Star.
Etisalat’s regional rights deal was announced alongside a distribution partnership with subscription video on demand (SVOD) service Starzplay. The sub-licensing contract covers all 45 matches from the competition, which is taking place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 17th October to 14th November.
In the UAE, coverage of the upcoming T20 World Cup will be available on the CricLife Max network via Etisalat’s eLife TV subscription service, its Switch TV streaming product and the Starzplay platform.
CricLife Max will broadcast all the matches live, along with highlights, pre-shows and post-match analysis, with full match replays available on the other CricLife channels.
Starzplay has introduced two packages for fans to watch the T20 World Cup. Those looking to tune in for select matches can access a daily pass priced at AED9.99 (US$2.72), while a full tournament pass is available for AED 99.99 (US$27.22).
Starzplay’s agreement with Etisalat also provides its users access to the CricLife and CricLife2 channels which air the telecommunication firm’s portfolio of live cricket content, including home matches from the likes of India, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand and the West Indies. T20 leagues including the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) are also covered in the deal.
“There is no other provider better placed in the UAE to bring sports fans the complete depth and breadth of sports action,” said Khaled Elkhouly, chief consumer officer at Etisalat. “Our investment in bringing the very best of cricket action to the UAE and beyond will further solidify our drive. Partnering with Starzplay not only for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup but for our CricLife channels will mean more fans can watch their teams play in more places than ever before across the GCC.”
Danny Bates, Starzplay’s chief commercial officer, added: “With cricket widely followed in the region, we are bridging a gap for our subscribers, who can now effortlessly watch all the live cricket action from this exciting T20 championship. Our aim is to become the ultimate TV entertainment destination and we will continue to explore new and innovative ways to offer the best sporting experience for our subscribers.”
