New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS): Disney Star and ZEE on Tuesday announced that they have entered into a sublicensing agreement over the recent media rights of the International Cricket Council (ICC). As per the agreement, ZEE will broadcast all Men's and Under-19 global cricket matches on its television channels while Star will only keep the digital rights.

The strategic licensing agreement, the first of its kind in the Indian media sports broadcast history, will remain for four years starting in 2024, with Star continuing to show matches on its digital platform, Hotstar.

"The association with Disney Star reflects our sharp, strategic vision for the sports business in India. As a one-stop television destination for ICC men's cricket events until 2027, ZEE will leverage the strength of its network to offer a compelling experience for its viewers and a great return on investment for its advertisers," said Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.

According to a joint statement by Disney Star and ZEE, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has, in principle, approved the arrangement.

The statement further said that the arrangement enables ZEE to be the exclusive television rights holder of ICC men's events, including the coveted ICC Men's T20 World Cup (2024, 2026), ICC Men's Champions Trophy (2025), and the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup (2027) along with key ICC U-19 events.

On the other hand, K. Madhavan, country manager & president, Disney Star, said that they are presenting a balanced and robust cricket offering for our audiences across linear and digital.

"By securing the IPL television broadcast rights for 2023-27 and now opting to retain only the digital rights for ICC tournaments for 2024-27, we have in place a balanced and robust cricket offering for our audiences across linear and digital," said Madhavan.

"Over the years, Disney Star has strengthened the appeal of international cricket in India, enabling it to reach diverse age groups and cultural demographics across all parts of the country. As India's leading media house, we will continue to do so with our strong portfolio of cricket properties across television and digital," he added.

Apart from securing the ICC digital rights for the next four years, Disney Star currently also have the television rights for IPL (2023-27), television and digital rights for Cricket Australia (2023-2030), television and digital BCCI rights (2023) and television and digital rights for Cricket South Africa (end of 2023-2024).

In addition to cricket, it also has properties like Pro Kabaddi League, Indian Super League, the Wimbledon Championship and the English Premier League on its platforms.