MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports has acquired the broadcast rights of Karp Group Hong Kong Cricket Sixes for a three-year period starting with the 2011 edition.

The rights cover non-standard TV, Internet as well as the mobile domain.

Star Cricket, the dedicated cricket channel from the ESPN Star Sports bouquet, will broadcast the action live and exclusive on 29 and 30 October. This year the Karp Group Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2011 will be played at the historic Kowloon Cricket Club from 28 to 30 October.

The 2011 edition of the tournament will have 12 teams. The All Stars have been drawn with Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Scotland in Pool A. Defending champions Australia are in Pool B with England, Bangladesh and Ireland while Pool C comprises last year?s losing finalists Pakistan, South Africa, India and Hong Kong.

Some of the leading stars who would be seen in action include Sanath Jayasuriya, Shahid Afridi, Shaun Tait, Herschelle Gibbs, Abdul Razzaq, Jacob Oram and the International Cricket Council?s Affiliate Player of the Year, Ryan Ten Doeschate of the Netherlands.

The Indian team for the tournament is yet to be announced.

MUMBAI: Malaysia has stitched 16 deals worth $70 million at the recently concluded Mipcom.

The deals with foreign partners included India, India, the US, Singapore, South Africa, Australia, NZ, UK, Germany, France, Spain, China, Korea and Lebanon. Thee were in the areas of international co-productions, distributions and global product launches.

The companies who engaged with the foreign partners were Animasia Studio, Backbone Entertainment, Cartoon4Kids, Double Vision, Ed-Online Technologies, Escalade, Funcel, InfiniteMotion, Lemon Sky Animation, Payang Group, Sirius Pictures, Tulus Fikir, Vision Animation and Vision New Media. 

Sirius Pictures of Malaysia and Heart Command Films of India have agreed to co-produce a slate of films and documentaries for television and new media platforms. Sesame Workshop has appointed Vision Plus Entertainment of Malaysia to distribute and co-produce localised content for programme catalog of Sesame Street in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, comprising Play with Me Sesame, Elmo?s World, Abby?s Flying Fairy School and Jalan Sesama.

Animasia Studio of Malaysia has signed a production servicing contract with Strika Entertainment to continue the third season of the soccer series ?Supa Strikas? which aits in over 70 countries worldwide, including Disney Asia, ESPN Star Sports, Nickelodeon Asia, Orange and SABC.

Animasia Studio of Malaysia and ZN Animation of China will co-produce an animation series ?My Ugly Little Brother?. Backbone Entertainment of Malaysia, Neonpumkin of Korea and Millimages of UK will co-produce a 3D animated TV series ?Call for ChiChi?.

Cartoon4Kids of Malaysia and Baleuko of Spain will co- roduce a 3D animated TV series ?Smolitoon?. Double Vision of Malaysia and FFP New Media of Germany have agreed to co-produce a tele-movie ?Re-United in Malaysia?. This is the second successive co-production tele-movie project, after ?Rendez-vous in Malaysia?.

Escalade of Malaysia and Latin Media Corporation from the US will co-produce a telenovela drama series ?Only You?Sofea Hana? for the local and global market, promoting Malaysian cultural values and traditions through suspense and mystery, with a strong storyline.

Funcel of Malaysia and August Media of Singapore will co-finance and co-produce a slate of three animated series of 52 episodes each. Funcel will be the animation production partner for the slate of series, while August Media along with its Scottish subsidiary ? Red Kite Animation would be responsible for development, finance, executive production and distribution. The titles of the three series are expected to be announced before the end of the year.

Infinite Motion of Malaysia and DuArt Film And Video of the US will co-produce an undisclosed animation series title, inclusive of script writing and dubbing. Infinite Motion of Malaysia and Three Black Cat of UK will co-produce an animation series ?Ella Brella?.

Lemon Sky Animation of Malaysia, Lion Rock Ventures of NZ and Media Tropics will co-produce a Pre-School animation series ?Buzzy Bee and Friends? that is based on a popular NZ-brand, as seen on TVNZ. Distributed by Australia?s Beyond Distribution, the series is a finalist of this year?s Mipcom Junior?s Kids Jury Award.

Malaysia?s official contingent to Mipcom more than doubled since last year from 30 creative content companies to 75 this year.

The National Film Development Corporation Malaysia joined forces with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and Multimedia Development Corporation, in association with the Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation to reshape and enhance the local film and digital content industry by exposing multiple content properties to the global marketplace.

The Malaysian contingent?s objective this year was to put innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship at the forefront of the global film and multimedia content supply chain and to make this industry as an engine of growth and contributor to national GDP. Its primary aim is to capitalise on past investments in cellular and data networks, by building the vertical industries, such as the creative content and application industry, as the next engine of growth. The end-result will be to enhance Malaysia?s capacity and capability to create many original, locally produced content and develop competency in content-related services to the regional market.

In regards to strategically and effectively promoting Malaysian content to its fragmented target audience, the Government?s priority will be to allign all its plans to help the local industry create a greater presence in the local and international broadcast market with a special focus on global IP development through formalisation of international co-production deals and partnerships with international distributors.

MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports will broadcast the upcoming Lanco International Super Series live from 20- 23 October.

The newly created hockey tournament has a "revolutionary new format" and new rules to make the game faster and more exciting ? it is like the T20 of hockey, known as Hockey 9?s!

ESPN Software India MD Aloke Malik said, "9-a-side hockey over a smaller time period is a revolutionary new concept and should make the game faster and more exciting for hockey lovers worldwide. In addition, the quality of hockey in the Lanco International Super Series will be of the highest quality with some of the top teams participating in both the men?s as well as women?s event. We are very pleased to work along with Hockey Australia and Commune to bring key matches of this event live on our networks in the Indian subcontinent."

The broadcast of the Lanco International Super Series will allow fans an opportunity to see the new format of the game.

Hockey Australia CEO Mark Anderson said he is pleased the Indian fans will have an opportunity to experience the excitement of the tournament.

"With newly created rules including nine players per side with one permanent forward and larger goals, this tournament is planned to provide excellent viewing for both traditional hockey fans and those who just love fast paced sport played at an elite level. The fact that all matches will be shown live back into India will allow all of those passionate Indian fans to enjoy a format that should suit the Indian teams," said Anderson.

Hockey Australia has engaged Indian sports marketing agency Commune for the tournament, and ESPN Star Sports will telecast it to various locations across South Asia including India, Pakistan (who are also competing in the tournament), Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal.

Fresh off their Asia Champions trophy victory, India will be sending full-strength men?s and women?s squads to participate in the tournament. The Indian men?s team will take on Australia, New Zealand and old rivals Pakistan, while the women?s team will play Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia.

All round matches from the tournament, including those involving India?s men?s and women?s teams, will be shown live on ESPN Star Sports.