Johannesburg - A week on from the announcement of its 10 year partnership with the new SA 20 League, the Indian broadcast company Viacom18 - part of the Reliance Industries conglomerate - confirmed its broadcast partnership with Cricket South Africa on Tuesday.
The deal with the national mother body is for seven years and sees Viacom18 retain “exclusive digital and TV rights for all international cricket, from 2024-2031”.
The partnership will cover all international cricket from South Africa, including the Mahatma Gandhi-Nelson Mandela Series between India and South Africa. The deal includes other high-profile series like the Basil D’Oliveira against England (in 2027) and tours from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, West Indies, Australia, and Bangladesh.
The Proteas have a very limited schedule in the next Future Tours Programme cycle, with the majority of Test series limited to two matches. In fact that series with England right at the end of the cycle, is the only three match series the Proteas will play in that period.
“CSA is pleased to partner with a broadcaster of Viacom18’s stature. This is affirmation of our intention to beam to our waiting fans, the flavour of cricket that South Africa has in store, which is always exhilarating and entertaining,” said Cricket SA’s chief executive, Pholetsi Moseki.
Viacom18 is a joint venture between TV18 - a broadcast entity owned by Reliance Industries - and the American media company, Paramount Global.
Reliance Industries owns the Mumbai Indians franchise in the Indian Premier League and bought the Cape Town franchise - to be known as MI Cape Town - in the SA20 League.
IOL Sport