iWorld
Disney Star to broadcast Australian cricket in India from 2024-25
Mumbai: Disney Star has inked a seven-year deal with Cricket Australia (CA) to broadcast all men’s and women’s international cricket as well as the Big Bash League (BBL) and Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) throughout India & the rest of Asia.
The deal estimated at $250 million will begin during the 2023-24 cycle. Cricket Australia is the national governing body for cricket in Australia.
Earlier, Disney Star held CA’s broadcast rights after which Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) India took over the rights. India is set to play a five-test series in Australia starting December & January (2024-25). It will be the first time India has played a five-test series in Australia since 1991-92. Disney Star will also hold the rights to Australia’s next home Ashes series in the summer of 2025-26.
“Disney Star’s massive audience reach will provide enormous exposure for Australian cricket and CA’s commercial partners in the world’s largest cricket market,” said the statement.
Disney Star also recently retained the TV broadcast rights for the T20 Indian Premier League from 2023-27 for Rs 23,575 crore. “CA’s alignment with the IPL broadcaster will ensure multiple benefits including widespread cross-promotion of the BBL,” it further noted.
“We are delighted to announce this new association with Disney Star from season 2023-24 onwards,” said Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley. “Disney Star is synonymous with the game in India and we look forward to working with them to showcase the outstanding cricket played in Australia every summer.”
“The magnitude of this association is testament to the enduring rivalry and respect that exists between Australian and Indian teams, the excitement and popularity of WBBL and BBL, and the high regard of Australian cricket in India and global markets more broadly,” he added.
“There was significant interest in our rights and we are very grateful to our current rights holder Sony for their partnership which will continue throughout this season.”
“Cricket Australia represents some of the best content that the world of cricket has to offer, be it the standard of cricket played, the popularity of Aussie Cricketers, the rivalries and narratives or the context of playing in front of expressive crowds and tough conditions,” said Disney Star head of sports Sanjog Gupta.
“Disney Star has been delighting millions of Indian fans by showcasing marquee cricket across our linear & digital platforms. Some of the most memorable moments for Indian fans have been produced in Australia and we look forward to elevating many more such moments with our unique brand of story-telling, programming, local activations and tech-enabled experiences in association with Cricket Australia,” he added.
iWorld
Epic Company launches unified Epic Studio for films and OTT
Vivek Krishnani to head films business; Samar Khan leads OTT & Television.
MUMBAI: Epic just merged its creative superheroes under one cape because when films and OTT need to fight for attention together, you don’t keep them in separate universes. The Epic Company has launched Epic Studio, a next-generation creative and production powerhouse that unites Juggernaut Productions and Movieverse Studio under a single banner. The move creates a streamlined, scalable platform for premium storytelling across theatrical films, OTT originals, television, digital-first formats and branded content.
Vivek Krishnani has been appointed chief executive officer, Epic Studio (Films), overseeing the theatrical and film business with a focus on culturally resonant narratives across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati and Malayalam cinema. Samar Khan continues as chief executive officer, Epic Studio (OTT & Television) and retains his role as chief content officer for Docubay and Epic On.
The Epic Company managing director Aditya Pittie said, “Epic Studio brings together our entire creative ecosystem under one unified studio vision. This is not just an integration of verticals, but the creation of a collaborative environment where writers, filmmakers, creators, and brand partners can seamlessly develop and scale stories across formats and screens.”
Vivek Krishnani added, “We are building an audience-focused mainstream film studio committed to delivering fresh, engaging, and innovative stories for both theatrical and streaming platforms.”
Samar Khan commented, “This alignment allows us to approach storytelling with a unified studio mindset. We are building IP under one creative umbrella, with scale and longevity in mind from inception.”
The unified structure eliminates silos, enabling ideas to flow fluidly from concept to screen while adapting to evolving audience behaviour. Epic Studio positions itself as a creator-led ecosystem championing purposeful, resonant storytelling with commercial strength.
In an entertainment landscape where stories now leap between screens faster than plot twists, Epic isn’t just building a studio, it’s crafting a single launchpad where every tale gets the best shot at soaring across every platform.
