Neo Sports wins New Zealand Cricket broadcast rights

The deal is estimated at USD 60-70 million.

Sports broadcasting company Neo Sports Broadcast has bagged a seven-year deal for exclusive broadcast rights of New Zealand Cricket. The deal gives Neo Sports exclusive broadcast rights across Asia, excluding the West Asia region, for both domestic and international cricket tournaments to be played in New Zealand till 2020.

Neo Sports bagged the rights for an estimated USD 60-70 million. Earlier, the rights were held by Sony India (2007-12). Sony bought the right for USD 50 million.

The multi-broadcaster pitch was handled by Pitch International, New Zealand Cricket's exclusive international broadcast and sponsorship agent.

Prasana Krishnan, COO, Neo Sports, says, "We are trying to get a mix of cricket and non cricket tournaments to our kitty and have been bidding for good valued deals without too high pricing. With the India tour of New Zealand next year and the Asia Cup also in our kitty, we see it as a good bag."

He adds that with the next cricketing World Cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand, this was a good opportunity for the company.

Altogether, Neo Sports will telecast 261 days of live cricket that includes 18 T20s, 63 ODIs and 36 Test matches. The coverage will begin on March 6, with New Zealand hosting England, currently ranked second in the ICC Test Rankings, in a three match Test series.

Krishnan adds that New Zealand has been a great team and has been doing well both on home ground and foreign pitches.

Neo Sports will broadcast two series between India and New Zealand - one in February, 2014 and the other in February, 2019. Other tournaments will include matches between teams such as West Indies, England, Bangladesh, Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Zimbabwe battling against the Kiwis.

Neo Sports Broadcast owns and operates two sports television channels - Neo Prime and Neo Sports. The network offers cricket, football, tennis, golf, badminton and hockey to Indian sports lovers.

Some of the tournaments broadcast on the channel include Asia Cup Cricket, German Bundesliga Football, French Open Tennis, ITF Davis Cup and Fed Cup Tennis, US PGA TOUR Golf, BWF Super Series Badminton Events, Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Hockey and World Series Hockey, among others.