The television and digital rights for the Indian Premier League cricket tournament for the next five years have been sold for more than US$5.6 billion.

Disney Star – the current broadcast rights-holders – won the Indian sub-continent TV rights for 2023-2027 for the rupee equivalent more than $3 billion at the media rights auction on 13 June.

Viacom18, a network backed by Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest man, secured the digital rights for the sub-continent with a bid worth $2.63 billion dollars.

With 410 matches to be played over the five-year period, Disney Star is effectively paying more than $7.3 million to screen each match.

With more rights winners still to be announced, including overseas rights, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already earned two-and-a-half times more than at the last auction in 2018.