Al Jazeera Sport to broadcast Friends Life T20 cricket

Al Jazeera Sport has struck an agreement with ESPN Star Sports, the Asian media rights partner of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), to show the Friends Life Twenty20 (T20) tournament this summer, www.congoo.com reports.

The deal – which includes live coverage of 25 matches from the domestic English T20 league – marks the first time Al Jazeera Sport has broadcast a cricketing event to its substantial TV audience across the Arab world.

“We are very pleased with the strong interest shown by Al Jazeera Sports in cricket. These arrangements promise to extend the popularity and reach of ECB’s events with the aim of raising the profile of the sport in the region, building on from last year’s highly successful ICC Cricket World Cup,” said Anurag Dahiya, senior vice president, corporate development and cricket rights, ESPN Star Sports.

ESPN Star Sports licenses ECB broadcast rights throughout the Middle East and North Africa, as well as Asia, after recently renewing its association with ECB in a seven year deal that expires in 2019.