MUMBAI: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Inc’s OTT streaming service, just dipped its little finger into the waters of global cricket and is already creating a wave of sorts.
Prime has won the rights of India for all Cricket in New Zealand through the 2025-26 season, including the New Zealand tour of India in early 2022 and another tour later, the dates of which have yet to be announced.
From a global industry perspective, the value of these rights can be perceived as negligible and yet they are making the best streaming players sit up and take notice because this is the first time Amazon has acquired rights to any cricket, anywhere in the country. world.
On the subject of cricket, this deal also marks the internet retailing of the OTT giant’s first foray into live sports in India. When it comes to cricket, the acquisition is Prime’s first effort to secure exclusive live rights to a major cricket board.
“Under the multi-year agreement, Prime Video will become the sole streaming destination for all international cricket matches to be played in New Zealand, for both men and women, on ODI, T20 and Tests starting in late 2021. Rights for 2020- The 2021 season that begins later this month is destined to be distributed by Amazon, “Prime told TOI.
The rights acquired by Prime were up for sale when financial constraints that emerged in the wake of Covid-19 forced (former) broadcasters Star India and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) to separate in July this year. Star India had signed a broadcast contract with NZC in the range of approx. US $ 35 million in 2017 for three years.
Industry executives point to three factors that make this new deal interesting: A) In a broadcast market where digital growth has multiplied due to the advent of technology and hand pandemic, Amazon’s entry into this space will boost existing players like Disney-Hotstar (digital rights holders in IPL and bilateral cricket in India) and Facebook (the ICC partners and the fact that they bid Rs 3,900cr for the IPL digital rights in 2017-18) to sit down and take serious note; B) The deal comes less than a year before BCCI plans to launch bids for IPL and bilateral rights in 2021-22, indicating Amazon’s intention to explore the market for cricket rights; C) The agreement marks a first exclusive move by any OTT service in the world to bid for cricket rights (without a television platform).
The OTT and online retail giant has been gradually making its foray into sports broadcasting, moves the industry is watching with great interest. While the rights to NZC are Amazon’s first winning bid in cricket, they recently made headlines for taking over the rights to UEFA Champions League in Italy and Germany for the 2021-24 cycle.
“It was always a question of ‘when’ and not ‘if’,” say those who follow the developments, referring to the Amazon entry. “Amazon had picked up the IPL bidding document in 2016 when the bidding process had to be canceled. In 2017, they didn’t come to the bidding table, but they were already in the room, watching. When bidding for the rights to NZC in India “They are shelling out pennies and not pounds, but it allows them to see this space up close. Cricket broadcasting is a small industry and all eyes will be on them from now on,” they add.
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