Viacom18 secured both the TV and digital rights for all Board for Cricket Control in India (BCCI) matches to be played in India for the 2023-28 cycle. As a result, Sports18 will be telecasting both international and domestic matches on TV while on the digital front, JioCinema will be livestreaming all the games. The five-year cycle will begin on September 2023 and will end on March 2028 with a total of 88 bilateral matches (which can increase to 102 matches). There will be 25 Test matches, 27 ODIs and 36 T20Is. Viacom 18 faced tough competition from Sony Pictures Network India and Disney Star in the e-auction on Thursday.
According to reports, Viacom18 will pay Rs 5,966.4cr to the BCCI in the next 5 years for the 88 international home matches.
"Congratulations @viacom18 for winning the @BCCI Media Rights for both linear and digital for the next 5 years. India Cricket will continue to grow in both spaces as after @IPL, and @wplt20, we extend the partnership @BCCI Media Rights as well. Together we will continue to capture the imagination of cricket fans," BCCI secretary Jay Shah tweeted.
"Also, a big thank you to Star India and Disney Plus HS for your support over the years. You played a key role in making India Cricket reach its fans across the globe," Shah added.
Thanks to this acquisition, Viacom will now broadcast the Indian cricket team home matches, Indian Premier League (digital), Women's Premier League (WPL), Paris Olympics 2024, South Africa cricket team's home matches for the 2024 season, T10 League, Road Safety World Series, SA20 franchise cricket league, NBA, Serie A, La Liga, Ligue1, and Diamond League.