Cricket Australia announces new Disney Star deal

Cricket Australia (CA) has inked a new seven-year deal with Disney Star which will see the platform broadcast both the Australian men’s and women’s teams’ matches in India and other regions in Asia. 

The deal is reported to be worth more than US$250 million and will include international matches and the men’s and women’s Big Bash League campaigns from the 2023-24 season onwards. Disney Star will be replacing Sony Pictures Network, which has been broadcasting the games in India since the 2017-18 season.

Speaking about the deal, Nick Hockley, CEO, Cricket Australia, commented:

“We are delighted to announce this new association with Disney Star from season 2023/24 onwards. Disney Star is synonymous with the game in India and we look forward to working with them to showcase the outstanding cricket played in Australia every summer. 

“The magnitude of this association is a testament to the enduring rivalry and respect that exists between Australian and Indian teams, the excitement and popularity of WBBL and BBL, and the high regard of Australian cricket in India and global markets more broadly. There was significant interest in our rights and we are very grateful to our current rights-holder Sony for their partnership which will continue throughout this season.“

Sanjog Gupta, Head of Sports, Disney Star, added:

“Cricket Australia represents some of the best content that the world of cricket has to offer, be it the standard of cricket played, the popularity of Aussie Cricketers, the rivalries and narratives or the context of playing in front of expressive crowds and in tough conditions. Disney Star has been delighting millions of Indian fans by showcasing marquee cricket across our linear and digital platforms.

“Some of the most memorable moments for Indian fans have been produced in Australia and we look forward to elevating many more such moments with our unique brand of story-telling, programming, local activations and tech-enabled experiences in association with Cricket Australia.“

Earlier in June this year, Disney Star also won the exclusive television broadcast rights for the next five seasons of the Indian Premier League. This deal was worth a little over US$3 billion.