ESPN+ acquires Cricket West Indies rights
January 29, 2021
ESPN+ has agreed a new five-year agreement with Cricket West Indies for exclusive US rights to all men’s and women’s matches in the International Cricket Council Future Tours Programme played in the Caribbean. The deal also includes domestic CWI matches for a total of 124 matches including 20 Tests, 46 ODI and 58 T20s.
The new deal will start February 7th with domestic CG Insurance Super50 Cup matches, including the championship final on February 27th. The first international event of the agreement begins March 2, when Sri Lanka travels to the West Indies. Additional tours this year include Australia, South Africa and Pakistan, with India (2022, 2023), New Zealand (2022, 2024) and England (2022, 2024) among others set for subsequent years.
“ESPN is the sports channel for American households and sports fans and we’re delighted that West Indies cricket will now be enjoyed in the homes and on the devices of millions of Americans,” said Johnny Grave, CEO of Cricket West Indies. “We have an ambitious strategic plan to increase West Indies presence and profile in North America and our new five-year agreement with ESPN is a crucial partnership that will help us achieve our goal.”
“Cricket West Indies is among the best in the world and their ICC schedule over the next few years is second to none,” added John Lasker, Vice President, ESPN Digital Media Programming. “Cricket has always been a priority for us with ESPNcricinfo leading the way as the premier destination for cricket coverage and news. Adding a strong slate of CWI events to ESPN+ is just the latest example of our commitment to cricket and serving fans with the best, most comprehensive cricket content in the US.”