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DELHI: The Asian Cricket Council has scrapped its deal with Nimbus to telecast
the upcoming Afro-Asia Cup for non-fulfilment of contractual obligations.
ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has bagged the rights on a revenue share arrangement. According
to information available with Indiantelevision.com, ACC will take away 80 per
cent of the revenue generated while ESS will keep 20 per cent. ESS will also bear
the production cost of the live feed. ESS executives, however, refused
to divulge the figures or the commercial aspect of the deal.
ACC had earlier awarded the three-year contract worth $11
million to Nimbus.
Meanwhile,
Zee has pulled out of its five-year contract with the BCCI
to telecast the country's games at neutral venues. This has
put an immediate question mark on the three ODIs India was
to play against South Africa from 26 June to 1 July in Belfast
besides another against host Ireland.
BCCI is understood to have initiated dialogue with ESS for
the rights that Zee has vacated.
ESS
has recently augmented its bouquet by another channel, which
is targeted at increasing its revenues. Earlier, ESPN Software
India VP Rajesh Kaul had told Indiantelevision.com that the
company was aiming at a 100 per cent increase in subscription
revenue this fiscal.
Meanwhile,
the affiliate revenue hawks at ESPN Star have launched an
offensive, trade sources confirmed, asking all operators to
pay them all the money allocated for sports broadcasters,
"as no other sports channel has not much content to show."
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