Disney-Star sub-licenses ICC TV broadcast rights to Zee at $1.5 bn

Viacom18 has bagged the rights for Rs 20,500 crore, while Disney-Star had retained the television rights for Rs 23,575 crore

In a first for the sports broadcasting industry in India, Disney-Star and Zee Entertainment on Tuesday said they had signed an exclusive licensing agreement for the television rights of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s and Under-19 tournaments for 2024-27.

The deal comes days after Disney-Star retained the combined TV and digital rights for the ICC Men’s, Women’s and Under-19 tournaments for $3 billion till 2027 in a closed-loop auction involving the submission of bids in sealed envelopes.

Informed sources say the licensing deal has been valued at 50-55 per cent of the combined transaction value of $3 billion, that is, $1.5-1.6