IMG Media secures long-term deals with BSkyB

MUMBAI: IMG Media, a division of IMG Worldwide, has secured long-term media rights deals with BSkyB, the UK?s leading sports broadcaster for both Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa.

The separate deals with the cricket boards will see England?s tour matches in Australia and South Africa shown on Sky Sports until 2016 and 2020 respectively.

IMG Asia Pacific SVP and Head of IMG Media said, "We are delighted to have concluded these deals. Sky Sports is the leading broadcaster of cricket in the UK and Ireland and they were intent on strengthening their year round coverage of the game, especially with England?s forthcoming Ashes Tour in Australia next year and tours to South Africa, the current top Test team in the world, in 2015 and 2019."

Sky Sports MD Barney Francis said, "The Ashes is one of world sport?s greatest events and we can now guarantee the next three series, home and away. Test cricket has always been core to Sky Sports and as England look to take the Test crown back from South Africa our viewers can see their next two series over there. This series of rights renewals gives us the strongest line up of live sport for our viewers to watch at home or on the move."

In addition to the Ashes series in Australia, the four-year deal for Sky Sports includes Australia?s home series with South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, India and New Zealand, plus Australia?s domestic Twenty20 Big Bash League.

Apart from England?s two tours of South Africa, Sky Sports deal includes the Test series against New Zealand, Pakistan, India, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, plus domestic Twenty20 matches.