In a first for cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that 541 event matches across three World Cups will be live-streamed globally in partnership with IMG. The deal will enable fans to watch all qualifying matches to three ICC World Cups – Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, and Women’s T20 World Cup 2023.
The deal which is up to April 2023, will have 145 women’s matches and 80 Associate Members will see fixtures from 41 qualifier events being produced and distributed, with more than 50 of these Members enjoying global coverage of an ICC event for the first time. This historic step will also enable fans to enjoy the eight teams making their debut in Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 – Bhutan, Botswana, Cameroon, France, Malawi, Myanmar, Philippines, and Turkey.
ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney said, “We are delighted to be partnering with IMG to deliver more cricket to more fans than ever before. This is a significant step forward for our sport and increases the size of our platform globally, which supports our long-term ambitions for greater sustainability for all of our Members. Associate Members have long identified that broadcasting international cricket would provide a significant opportunity for growth and raise the profile of our sport in non-traditional heartlands and we are excited by the potential of this partnership.”
“The deal which provides broadcast coverage for 541 pathway event matches across three ICC World Cups will display the growth of high-quality Associate Member national teams showcasing fiercely competitive and entertaining cricket in new markets. Throughout the process, we received substantial interest in acquiring the rights, but our preferred supplier was IMG due to their extensive experience in this field and they will provide us with the best opportunity for global viewership.”
This decision will help to ensure that more nations will have access to cricket, fans will get to watch new teams compete at the highest level and the partnership will deliver content for the ICC digital channels giving them the opportunity to promote cricket and attract fans from across the globe.
Adam Kelly, Co-President, Media and Events, IMG, said, “The pathway matches are an important part of the future growth of international cricket and we are delighted to have been chosen by the ICC to ensure they are streamed live around the world. This key relationship will ensure both the men’s and women’s games receive much wider awareness across several different broadcast platforms. We look forward to working with the ICC and its members on showcasing the game as broadly as possible.”
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