Star Sports are set to broadcast the forthcoming ICC Under-19 World Cup 2024. The much-awaited competition is scheduled to be played from 19 January to 11 February in South Africa. The tournament was originally scheduled to be played in Sri Lanka but the ICC shifted the venue after suspending Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) for government interference in its administration.
The ICC Under-19 World Cup 2024 will be the fifteenth edition of the tournament. And the fans will be able to catch all the action on Star Sports, one of the leading sports television channels in the country. According to a report in Cricbuzz, the television rights sharing agreement between Star Sports and Zee Network has encountered challenges.
As a result, Star Sports has become the exclusive owner of both digital and linear properties. Hotstar will be the digital platform for the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2024. The report further stated that Star Sports is actively seeking to sell commercial spots for the World Cup, and negotiations are underway with the ICC for the telecast of the competition.
ICC Under-19 World Cup 2024 to be telecasted on Star Sports:
In August last year, Disney Star secured the rights to broadcast ICC events for four years by paying $3.1 billion. Soon after acquiring the rights, they sub-licensed the linear rights to Zee Entertainment Limited (ZEEL). Things looked fine at start as ZEEL considered a merger with Sony India.
However, the prolonged merger talks have affected ZEEL’s agreement with Disney Star. According to reports, Disney Star is in talks with Reliance-owned Network/Viacom 18 for potentially selling Disney’s India business. While nothing is clear as of now, Star Sports is currently busy preparing to telecast the ICC Under-19 World Cup.
Meanwhile, India are the defending champions and will open their campaign against Bangladesh on January 20. In their second game, they will be up against Ireland on January 25 before taking on the United States on January 28. All of the three games will take place at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein.
