DUBAI 6 October 2019: Sony Pictures Network (SPN) have joined with Abu Dhabi T10 as their official broadcast partner for the next three years, to bring the cricket extravaganza to a worldwide viewership of nearly a billion fans.
Under the agreement, all 29 Abu Dhabi T10 matches as well as the opening day Bollywood concert will be telecast live to Sony Network’s India’s viewer base of 700 million on Sony Six and Sony Ten 3 channels. In addition, Sony Liv and Jio will allow another 300 million viewers to live-stream the tournament on their mobile phones through their OTT platforms, bumping potential viewership numbers for the event.
The prime mover behind the deal and the originator of the only ICC-sanctioned ten-over cricket league in the world, T10 Sports Management Chairman Shaji Ul Mulk, spoke about the significance of ten-over cricket and the new broadcast partnership.
“This is a very fast format and I’m sure children will take a liking towards the league. It is like watching a football match, the action is over in 90 minutes and there is lot of drama and entertainment. It is the next big thing in the world of cricket. As the format gathers more fans, we want to make sure that no one is left disappointed and so we have partnered with Sony Network and Jio to telecast the cricket extravaganza live on their platforms.”
Abu Dhabi T10 is set to kick off from 14 to 24 November at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in the UAE capital.
For this year’s Abu Dhabi T10, eight teams will face each another in 29 matches across 10 days. The star-studded line-up of international cricket talent shines a light on the game’s global appeal, with the likes of Australian icons Shane Watson and Cameron White, West Indians Darren Sammy, Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo; Sri Lankan duo Angelo Matthews and pacer Lasith Malinga; and Afghanistan’s Mohammad Shahzad and Rashid Khan all set to participate in November.
During the first season of the league Kerala Knights were crowned as champions while the second season saw Northern Warriors come out on top. This year with more international stars coming into the league, fans can expect more entertainment on the field with the level of cricket set to improve manifolds.
