Zee entertainment will now be able to show ICC men's and U19 tournaments in Indian market.
There are four men's marquee events in the 2024-27 period, including two T20 World Cups (2024 and 2026), the 2025 Champions Trophy, and the 2027 ODI World Cup.
The broadcast rights for the ICC women's events for the Indian market - both TV and digital - remain with Disney Star. On August 26, Disney Star won the entire ICC rights - both TV and digital - for four years for the Indian market by beating competition from Zee, Sony, and Viacom.
In a media release issued on Tuesday, Disney Star and Zee said the ICC had given "in-principle" approval to their agreement.
Zee's chief executive officer and managing director Punit Goenka said the agreement reflected a "sharp, strategic vision" for conducting 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.
Long-term profitability and value generation continue to be our areas of focus across the business, and we will always evaluate all the necessary steps that will enable us to make sports a compelling value proposition for the company. We look forward to working with ICC and Disney Star, to enable this strategic offering for our television viewers in India,” Zee's chief executive officer and managing director Punit Goenka said.
This is the first time two major broadcasting rivals have come to such sort of a deal, which will be approved by the ICC. ICC had included a provision in its bid document about the winner having the opportunity to sub-license rights.
(ESPNCricinfo inputs)