Disney Star won following a single-round sealed bid process which has yielded a significant uplift to the rights fee from the previous cycle continuing the impressive growth and reach of cricket.

The decision followed a robust tender, bidding and evaluation process, which started in June 2022.

Earlier this year, Disney lost the auction for the digital India Premier League Cricket rights to Viacom18, which resulted in Disney lowering its expectations for how many subscribers Disney+ will have globally by the end of 2024 by 15 million.  With Disney securing these cricket rights, it should help reduce the amount of people who unsubscribe to Disney+ Hotstar in India.

ICC Chair Greg Barclay said in a statement:

“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. They will play a crucial role in the future of our sport and connecting and engaging with more fans than ever before.

K Madhavan, Country Manager & President, Disney Star said:

“We are delighted at being able to continue our association with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and look forward to strengthening our partnership by growing the sport of cricket in the years ahead.

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.”

Barclay added:

“Having a broadcast and digital partner for women’s events in India is a significant step forward in our ambition to accelerate the growth of the women’s game. Disney Star presented impressive plans for the promotion of women’s cricket and they clearly share our vision so I’m incredibly excited by the size of the opportunity ahead.

This was an incredibly competitive process, which isn’t surprising given the huge audiences that cricket consistently attracts with more than a billion fans that passionately follow the game globally. I’d like to thank all of the bidders for their interest in and support of cricket.”

What do you think of Disney getting hold of the ICC rights for Disney+ Hotstar?