ESPN follows up American College Cricket & World Cup with IPL on ESPN3 !
Action from American College Cricket
After the ground breaking live broadcast of the 2014 American College Cricket National Finals on March 16 (with TV Asia), ESPN followed it up by televising the T20 World Cup live on ESPN2 on April 6. Now in another great step it will broadcast select 2014 IPL matches !-
ESPN has reached a content exchange agreement with Willow TV for exclusive live digital coverage of Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket on ESPN3 in the US. The deal – which granted Willow TV telecast rights to the India vs. New Zealand series – will give fans in the US access to select matches throughout the 2014 season. Additionally, the agreement includes digital video highlights rights in the US on ESPNcricinfo platforms.
“ESPN3 continues to establish itself as a leading destination for live coverage of major cricket events in the US, and we plan to build our momentum at the conclusion of the ICC World Twenty20 Championship with the start of the IPL’s seventh season,” said Jason Bernstein, senior director of programming and acquisitions, ESPN. “The IPL features some of the best cricketers – and some of the most passionate fans – in the world, and we look forward to delivering these events nationally to a US audience.”–
ESPN3 will carry both IPL semifinal matches and seven “Game of the Week” matches. Additionally, the deal includes unlimited highlights rights to those nine matches plus select highlights rights to all other IPL matches.
The seventh season of the IPL begins on Wednesday, April 16 and concludes with the final on Sunday, June 1. In-depth pre- and post-coverage following the IPL throughout the season will be available via ESPNcricinfo online and on mobile platforms.
The live broadcast of the American College Cricket National Championship Finals was the first cricket in America to ever be broadcast on ESPN – the game was televised simultaneously on TV Asia, which has been televising American College Cricket in the USA & Canada since October 2011.
American College Cricket President Lloyd Jodah said,”By broadcasting the American College Cricket Finals ESPN put itself front & center with college students all over the USA as a primary online source for cricket, over all the other options. Televising the T20 World Cup, and now broadcasting some IPL matches cements that status.”
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About ESPN3
ESPN3 is ESPN’s live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and streamed on televisions through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to Gold members, Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV. The network is currently available to more than 92 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.
