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Tag: ESPN Star Sports

  • There has been a mixed response to the announcement that Newscorp will buy ESPN’s equity stake in ESPN Star Sports

    Mixed response to Newscorp’s total control of ESS

    By A Correspondent

     

    The News Corporation and ESPN announcement that the latter would buy ESPN’s 50 per cent equity interest in ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) has been welcomed by the industry.  The transaction will allow News Corporation units to own and operate all of the ESS businesses while providing ESPN more independence and flexibility in future support of The Walt Disney Company’s overall efforts in Asia.

     

    There has been a mixed response to the development. For one, they say it’s an internal matter between the two shareholders and will not impact the bidding or media selling process. ESPN and Star Sports (and the other channels) were being sold as one unit, said one observer. Yes, even though it was a 50:50 jv, the feeling was that it was a little more aligned to Disney than Star, remarked a senior official in a rival network.

     

    Talking about the development, Hemant Kenkre, cricket analyst and a senior communications professional said: “I’m excited about the news as everyone knows that the News Corporation is an innovative organization. For instance, when they bought KBC to India, it changed the whole Indian GEC scenario. Even now they are one of the first organizations to launch fully HD channels. When one thinks of cable TV, News Corporation is the real king in India. Thus, one can say that they think differently so the sporting world too should get ready for a dhamaka. I’m sure even cricket fans will be happy with it because it will bring other sports on the forefront too.”

     

    Commenting on the news, Mahesh Ranka, founder & CEO, Indus Sports and Sponsorship said: “This only means that the war between sports channels in India will intensify. ESPN will now be able to launch new channels and I’m sure they will as they are a major player globally. It will also mean that now a broadcaster might have to dig deeper into his pocket as it might push broadcasting rights in the near future. Having said that, it is good news because it signifies the growth of sport broadcast industry in the country.”

     

    MxMIndia was unable to ascertain whether the terms of ESPN’s exit from ESPN Star Sports stipulates a cool-off period whereby ESPN will not be able to operate any similar channels in the region for a certain period. For instance, when Star pulled out its brand from the MCCS news channels, it was clear that it would not be able to launch Star News for the next 18 months after serving the notice (said to have been in January 2012).

     

    With inputs by Meghna Sharma

     

  • The transaction, which is subject to customary regulatory approvals, will allow News Corporation unit to own and operate all ESS businesses, including STAR Sports, ESPN and STAR Cricket

    Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp to buy ESPN’s 50% stake in ESPN STAR Sports

    By A Correspondent

     

    Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp has agreed to acquire the 50 per cent it does not own in its Asian sports TV joint venture, ESPN STAR Sports, bringing to an end a 16-year-old relationship which, among other things, dominates cricket broadcast in the sub-continent.

     

    A unit of News Corporation will buy ESPN’s 50 per cent equity interest, a statement from the two partners said.  The transaction, which is subject to customary regulatory approvals, will allow News Corporation unit to own and operate all ESS businesses, including STAR Sports, ESPN and STAR Cricket.

     

    ESPN STAR Sports, which generates about Rs2,500 crore in revenues, also owns television broadcast rights for the ICC World Cup Cricket and T20 Champions League.

     

    No financial terms were disclosed but people close to the transaction said that it could have cash and non-cash components.

     

    While the cash component would not be very substantial, the non-cash portion could involve handing over the non-India distribution rights of possibly the T20 Championship League rights to ESPN.

     

    “News Corporation’s acquisition of the interest of ESS that we did not already own continues the programme of simplifying our operating model, consolidating our affiliate ownership structures, and furthers our commitment to delivering incredible sports programming to consumers across the globe, and particularly enhancing our position in sports programming in emerging markets,” said James Murdoch, deputy chief operating officer and chairman & CEO International, News Corporation.

     

    Wednesday’s announcement comes just weeks after STAR broke up with long-time Indian partner, the Kolkata-based ABP Group and sold its stake in Hindi news and regional language channels.

     

    “After 16 years jointly managing ESS, we have decided to independently pursue future opportunities in Asia,” said John Skipper, president of ESPN and co-chairman, Disney Media Networks.

     

    The partners also announced that Manu Sawhney, managing director of ESS, who has led ESS in the past 16 years, will hand over charge to Peter Hutton, SVP of sports for Fox International Channels (FIC).

    Mr Hutton will report to the ESS Board. Mr Sawhney will be staying with the company until August 31 to work with Hutton on a smooth transition.

     

    STAR’s ambitions in the sports broadcasting space were evident when it acquired the rights to Indian cricket from the Board of Control for Cricket in India, beating rival Sony and paying Rs4,000 crore.

     

    Speakingfrom the US, STAR India CEO Uday Shankar said: “Till the regulatory framework is done, it will be business as usual. As for the money we spent on acquiring the Indian cricket rights, it is money which will be paid over several years, (six) and I am confident of a broadcast transformation and a bigger market. A lot of distortion in this space will also have sorted out.”

     

    Mr Shankar also clarified that all the ESPN employees would continue not only as of now, but post the regulatory framework. “It’s not as if STAR has a ready-made sports setup all ready,” he added. As for competition and raising prices for acquisitions, he said, there are four active players and all will compete very vigorously.

     

    Source: The Economic Times
    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

  • ESPN Star Sports bags a seven-year multi-platform contract with the English & Wales Cricket Board making the twin channels’ cricket offerings very impressive

    English cricket board hits slowdown for a six by selling cricket rights to ESPN Star

    By A Correspondent

    ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has inked a new seven-year contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for exclusive multi-platform rights to broadcast its domestic and home international matches across Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Although there are no official figures available, British media reports suggest the deal is worth over Rs 850 crore.

     

    The deal, which runs from 2013 to 2019, incorporates exclusive rights for television, online, mobile and radio, covering major cricket markets of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh among others across Asia; the broadcast arrangement also includes territories in North Africa. ESS has been ECB’s current broadcast partner in the region, having held the contract for the past five years.

     

    David Collier

    ECB Chief Executive David Collier’s statement indicated how the deal would help the game and the Board: “In a challenging economic climate with all sports facing tough competition for funding streams, it will also provide an important source of additional revenue for funding the development of our game at all levels,” he said.

     

    Said Manu Sawhney, Managing Director, ESPN Star Sports (ESS): “We are delighted to further extend our partnership with ECB with whom we have shared a very strong relationship over the past two decades.”

     

    Manu Sawhney

    “This new agreement demonstrates the enormous appetite for cricket worldwide and the global pulling power of a successful England team and a vibrant County game,” Colliers added. Note: in January this year, the ECB had renewed a broadcasting agreement with Sky Sports for four-year cycle of 2014-17 and with BBC Sport for radio rights to broadcast live commentary on international cricket from 2014 to 2019. The ECB’s agreement with Sky Sports also includes an option to extend for a further two years, which would encompass tours by India in 2018 and Australia in 2019. In a separate arrangement, Channel 5 has been signed on to show highlights until at least 2017. The ECB-Sky Sports renewal  is reported to have been inked at around Rs 2200 crore.

     

    With this partnership, ESS continues to be the leading cricket broadcaster with the most comprehensive calendar of premier cricket events covering all formats of the game, including exclusive global telecast rights from the International Cricket Council events, the Champions League Twenty20, as well as major international and domestic events from the Cricket Australia. Adding to this impressive line-up of cricket content is BCCI cricket, which will be showcased in partnership with ESS.

     

    ESPN Star Sports will feature a packed cricket calendar over the next 13 months, showcasing a wide and varied mix of cricket action of over 400 match days starting with the ongoing West Indies’ tour of England  to all the way to ICC Champions Trophy in England in June 2013. In addition to the exciting line-up of international cricket, cricket broadcast will cover over 200 days of vibrant domestic cricket action from India, Australia and England featuring some of the top domestic leagues.

     

    As a part of the agreement with ECB, ESS will broadcast more than 300 days of live International cricket action, including 47 Test Matches, 63 One Day Internationals and 15 Twenty20 games. Major test playing nations will be competing in England, including New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, West Indies and South Africa. Key highlights of this new agreement include India’s next two tours to England in 2014 and 2018 as well as three iconic Ashes series in 2013, 2015 and 2019.

     

    In addition, ESS will broadcast 60 days of ECB’s domestic cricket every year, including the Friends Life t20 competition, the CB40 tournament, the LV County Championship, as well as England Lions, England Under 19s and England Women’s cricket. Specifically for the Indian subcontinent, the exciting cricket action will be available during primetime making it an interesting proposition for fans and advertisers alike, a communiqué added.

     

    Meanwhile, although there have been media reports on the ESPN and Star India joint venture ending, there is no official confirmation or denial of the development.

     

  • The on-ground division will also manage Pepsi T20 Football’s on-ground events in India

    ESPN STAR Sports launches ‘Event Management Group’

    By A Correspondent

     

    ESPN STAR Sports, Asia’s leading sports broadcaster, announced the launch of its on-ground division ‘Event Management Group’ (EMG) in India. The company also announced that PepsiCo India has signed on EMG to manage its mega football league Pepsi T20 Football’s on-ground events in India. As a part of the deal, ESPN STAR Sports is producing and showcasing the Pepsi T20 Football tournament in a special 8-episode series. EMG is also managing the School Quiz 2012, where it has roped in HDFC Life as the title sponsor. While the on-ground initiatives around HDFC Life School Quiz 2012 have already started, on-air telecast of the Quiz begin on June 01.

     

    The Event Management Group (EMG) will manage and promote premier sporting events around Asia. EMG specializes in creating, managing, promoting, consulting, producing and syndicating leading sporting events such as the KIA X Games Asia, KL World 5s and Guinness 9-Ball Tour. With over 1000 events in 11 countries, all events organised by EMG enjoy unrivalled regional broadcast across Asia through the ESPN and STAR Sports channels.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Sanjay Kailash, Executive Vice President, ESPN Software India Pvt Ltd, said: “Our Event Management Group has firmly established itself across Asia Pacific with world class products designed to engage and entertain sports fans. It offers an exciting business opportunity in the India market as well. We can bring our deep international experience into play; create tailor made events and offer interesting and innovative marketing solutions using multiple platforms of ESPN STAR Sports. I am sure corporates will see lot of value in what EMG has to offer.”

     

    ESPN STAR Sports is a 50:50 joint venture between two of the world’s leading cable and satellite broadcasters. As Asia’s definitive and complete sports broadcaster and content provider, ESPN STAR Sports combines the strengths and resources of its ultimate parent companies – Walt Disney (ESPN, Inc.) and News Corporation Limited (STAR) – to deliver a diverse array of international and regional sports to viewers via its encrypted pay-TV services.

     

  • Media planners say official broadcaster ESPN Star Sports hopes to earn Rs95-100 crore by selling advertisement spots during the 17-day event in July-August as well as related programmes

    Olympics countdown: Hero, Airtel etc flock to hockey on rising public interest

    By Ratna Bhushan & Meenakshi Verma Ambwani

     

    Indian marketers are joining the ‘Chak De India’ brigade going to London Olympics. A day after the Indian hockey team qualified for the Olympics in spectacular style, advertisers such as Hero MotoCorp, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone plan to associate with the team and the event while Coca-Cola and Samsung may look to cash in on their official partnerships for the event, say people involved in their media buying plans.

     

    Media planners say official broadcaster ESPN Star Sports hopes to earn Rs95-100 crore by selling advertisement spots during the 17-day event in July-August as well as related programmes that will be spread over five months starting March.

     

    This amount is several times more than Rs5-7 crore that Doordarshan had raked in during the Beijing Olympics in 2008, but experts say three factors will help ESPN Star Sports reach its revenue target.

     

    These are, Indian cricket team’s disastrous performance in recent times that has pushed the sport’s television viewership to new lows; the fact that the Olympics is being shown on a private channel for the first time, leading to aggressive marketing of the event; and, a strong revival in interest in hockey and other sports.

     

    “The hockey team qualifier has changed things. Many companies are now seeing the Olympics as an opportunity to cash in on their global partnerships,” said Navin Khemka, senior vice-president at media buying firm Zenith Optimedia, which buys media for Reckitt Benckiser.

     

    Advertisers game for London

    ESPN Software Executive VP Sanjay Kailash said there is significant interest among Indian brands to advertise on the Olympics. “With the Indian team qualifying for hockey, the interest and buzz around the Olympics among Indian viewers and advertisers will only increase,” he said.

     

    ESPN Star Sports plans to rope in eight partners for the event. Consumer electronics giant Samsung is the official partner of the Indian delegation to the London Olympics while dairy products brand Amul on Monday announced a deal to sponsor the Indian contingent.

     

    “The hockey team’s performance has added muscle to our sponsorship plans,” said RS Sodhi, managing director of Amul brand owner Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, which will provide Rs1 crore for athletes who have qualified for the London Olympics.

     

    A Samsung spokeswoman said the company is yet to work out the specifics of its Olympics campaign. The firm is supporting training expenses of six players. Two-wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp, the title sponsor for the Olympics qualifying tournament concluded in New Delhi on Sunday, is also expected to pick up broadcasting spots.

     

    Others such as telecom services providers Bharti Airtel and Vodafone too have evinced interest in associating with the Indian team, either on ground or on television, say media planners. Sahara Group, which renewed its five year sponsorship deal with Hockey India earlier this month, too may pitch in.

     

    Cricket’s loss helps

    In a strange turn of the wheel of fortune, the Indian hockey team, by merely qualifying for an event it had missed only once since the country’s Independence, has stolen the limelight from the national cricket team that won the World Cup less than a year ago.

     

    Television rating points for India’s ongoing series in Australia have plunged to less than 2, now that India has lost all the Test matches and is almost certain to finish last in the three-nation one-day international tournament.

     

    The downturn started in England last year, when the Indian team lost all its matches and meekly surrendered its top ranking in Tests to the host country. Yet, ESPN Star is expected to have earned about Rs300 crore in advertising revenues from the three-month Indian tour to Australia.

     

    “Family viewership for cricket has dropped and rates are now out of reach of certain brands,” says Shripad Kulkarni, chief executive officer of Allied Media, part of sports entertainment company Percept.

     

    Source: The Economic Times
    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

  • New tournament to feature 21 days of non-stop action, with over 100 hours of matches from February 9-29, 2012

    ESPN STAR Sports to Broadcast Inaugural Bangladesh Premier League

    By A Correspondent

     

    Asia’s top sports content provider, ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) on Thursday announced the broadcast of the much-awaited inauguralBangladeshPremier League (BPL) from February 9-29 on STAR Cricket and STAR Sports.

     

    As the biggest cricketing event inBangladesh, BPL will bring all the glitz and glamour of T20, featuring some of the top names in cricket from around the globe with 21 days of non-stop world-class cricket action and entertainment.

     

    As the definitive rights holder of the best in international sporting events, ESPN STAR Sports will showcase this exciting new T20 event to cricket lovers across Asia, along with Channel 9, which will broadcast the tournament inBangladesh.

     

    With the match action kicking off on February 10, the first edition of theBangladeshPremier League will feature six teams that will play each other twice in a round-robin format of over 33 matches held inChittagongandDhaka. Each team will feature a stellar mix of a leading icon player fromBangladeshalong with current T20 stars and cricketing greats, some of which are listed below.

     

    BarisalBurners Shahriar Nafees Bangladesh- Icon player
    Brad Hodge Australia
    Chris Gayle West Indies
    ChittagongKings Tamim Iqbal Bangladesh- Icon player
    Shoaib Malik Pakistan
    Mutthaya Murlidharan Sri Lanka
    Dwayne Bravo West Indies
    KhulnaRoyal Bengals Shakib Al Hasan Bangladesh- Icon player
    Nasir Hossain Bangladesh
    Herschelle Gibbs South Africa
    Sanath Jayasuriya Sri Lanka
    S Chanderpaul West Indies
    Sylhet Royals Alok Kapali Bangladesh- Icon player
    Naeem Islam Bangladesh
    Kamran Akmal Pakistan
    Darren Sammy West Indies
    Brad Hogg Australia
    DhakaGladiators Mohammad Ashraful Bangladesh- Icon player
    Nazim Uddin Bangladesh
    Saeed Ajmal Pakistan
    Shahid Afridi Pakistan
    Keiron Pollard West Indies
    Duronto Rajshahi Mushfiqur Rahim Bangladesh- Icon player
    Zunaed Siddique Bangladesh
    Abdul Razzaq Pakistan
    Marlon Samuels West Indies

     

     

    “We are delighted to support the expansion of T20 toBangladeshby bringing this exciting new tournament to cricket fans inAsia. As the rights holder for some of the globe’s best cricket events, including ICC World T20, CL T20, India-Australia test matches, ODI tri-series betweenAustralia,IndiaandSri Lanka, and England-Australia ODIs, we are pleased to addBangladeshPremier League to our portfolio of top cricket coverage,” said Joyee Biswas, Director, Programming of ESPN STAR Sports.

     

    “As the first GEC of Bangladesh with a mix of Sports and Entertainment, and the producer of BPL T20, we are pleased to partner with ESPN STAR Sports to bring BPL to cricket lovers and look forward to a long term relationship,” said Enayetur Rahman, Managing Director of Channel 9.

     

    Running from February 9-29, the tournament will feature a mix of 1-2 matches per day. On days when two games are played, the first match will begin at 2pm local time followed by the second match at 6.30pm. In addition to the Icon player fromBangladesh, each team is allowed 9 foreign players, 5 of who can play per match per team.

     

    ESPN STAR Sports showcases an unparalleled variety of premier sports from around the globe featuring some of the most iconic sports events to viewers across 24 countries inAsia. ESPN STAR Sports operates from itsSingaporeheadquarters and has regional offices across six countries in Asia (China,Hong Kong,Taiwan,India,Malaysia,South Korea). ESPN STAR Sports features a comprehensive portfolio of multimedia assets including its 25 television channels, 3 broadband networks, digital content services, and its on-ground Event Management group.

     

     

     

  • Companies pull cricketer ads off air, mull ad rate cut after Team India's disastrous Oz tour

    Corporate India loses interest in cricket with team’s loss

    By Rajiv Singh & Ratna Bhushan

     

    It’s being marketed as the ‘Agneepath’ series and Team India’s disastrous tour of Australia will most certainly leave brand cricket with severe burns as companies turn to non-cricketer brand ambassadors, pull cricketer ads off air and negotiate a cut in advertising rates.

     

    The Indian cricket team is staring at a humiliating second consecutive whitewash overseas after surrendering meekly in the first three Tests in Australia on the back of a debacle in England last year, and most cricket sponsors are unable to hide their disappointment as Indian TV viewers surf away from cricket.

     

    “We were planning to rope in one of the top Indian cricketers for our forthcoming campaign, but have now decided against having cricketers,” says a top official of a mobile handset brand requesting anonymity. “Going by their present performance, it’s not worth a gamble now.”

     

    Media experts predict that television advertisement rates will fall at least 20% after this series as cricket is fast losing mindspace after hitting a peak following India’s World Cup triumph last year.

     

    “There’s absolutely no doubt that advertising rates will fall in the forthcoming series,” says Ms Punita Arumugam, media group chief executive officer of Madison, which buys media for Bharti Airtel, ITC and Cadbury Kraft.

     

    A senior official of Maruti Suzuki, one of the key sponsors of the ongoing series, says the Tests have been a big disappointment for the country’s largest carmaker.

     

    “While we will continue to invest in cricket, we feel cricket is over-priced. Considering that results of the team have not been spectacular except for the World Cup, we hope rates will be rationalised,” says Maruti Suzuki Chief General Manager – Marketing, Mr Shashank Srivastava.

     

    While India’s tour of England had a low average television viewer rating of only 1.79, the first two Tests in Australia fared even worse, with ratings of 0.89 and 0.70, respectively, says rating agency TAM. “Several advertisers are in talks to reduce inventory or pull out from cricket,” says Madison’s Ms Arumugam, declining to mention names.

     

    ESPN-Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the current series, however, has ruled out a drop in prices for the one-day series. Mr Sanjay Kailash, EVP & head of sales, says the company has sold out 70% of ad inventory for the ODIs.

     

    He agrees that there has been a dip in advertising interest over 2010-11. “But that’s more to do with the general economic slowdown.”

     

    Media buyers say the broadcaster sold advertisement slots between Rs70,000-80,000 per 10 seconds for Test matches, and Rs2.75-3.25 lakh per 10 seconds for the One-Day Internationals.

     

    They say these rates will come down as India’s humiliating shows abroad have alienated millions of loyal TV viewers, already dealing with an overdose of cricket. “As long as you cheese off sponsors, it’s still okay. But this time the fans are feeling betrayed and extremely disappointed,” says Mr Shailendra Singh, joint MD of Percept, a sports and media entertainment firm. “No sponsor would put in money if there are no viewers.”

     

    SOOTHSAYER DRAVID

     

    It looks like the warning that Indian batsman Rahul Dravid had sounded during his Bradman Oration address in December is turning prophetic. “Empty stands (during Tests) do not make for good television. Bad television can lead to a fall in ratings, fall in ratings will be felt by media planners and advertisers’ looking elsewhere,” he had said.

     

    Maybe it’s coming true. No brand has signed an Indian cricketer as its endorser since Gulf Oil signed Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for its lubricant brand Gulf in September last.

     

    And there are not many television commercials featuring cricketers on air, despite it being a cricket season. Brands such as McDowell’s and Revital, which had been advertising heavily with their cricketer ambassadors till recently, have become conspicuous by their absence.

     

    Beverage maker Coca-Cola, which had planned to flood shop shelves with 6.5 million ‘Sachin’ special cans to celebrate Sachin Tendulkar’s 100th international century, is still waiting for the magical moment as 10 months have passed after the master blaster scored his 99th during the World Cup. So do many other brands.

     

    Also, there are not many potential brand endorsers as most youngsters are yet to cement their place and seniors such as Tendulkar, Dravid and VVS Laxman are set to retire. Captain Dhoni’s comment on retiring from one version of the game may impact his demand, while batting and bowling spearheads Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan may not be around for too long either.

     

    WAITING FOR REBOUND

     

    While Lady Luck may have deserted Team India, brands such as Emami, which had roped in Dhoni in February 2010, still cheer for the team. “Ups and downs are a part of the game,” says Mr Krishna Mohan, CEO (sales, supply chain and human capital), Emami.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • Sports content provider ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) has announced the promotion of Sanjay Kailash to Executive Vice President & Head of Sales (India) for its India operations, ESPN Software India (ESI).

    Sanjay Kailash is ESPN’s EVP, Head of Sales (India)

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sports content provider ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) today announced the promotion of Sanjay Kailash to Executive Vice President & Head of Sales (India) for its India operations, ESPN Software India (ESI).

    Mr Kailash will have an expanded role with the overall responsibility of delivering revenue for various streams of the business including Advertising, Affiliate Sales, Digital Media and Event Management Group. He will continue to report directly to ESI’s Managing Director, Aloke Malik.

    Said Mr Malik: “As we further scale up our business in the market with new networks and offerings, we see great potential in bringing more synergy across different revenue functions. This will allow us to explore more opportunities and develop focused propositions for our business partners. Sanjay’s in-depth knowledge and cross-industry experience will help ESPN Software India further reinforce and broaden its business in the sub-continent, and I believe the organization will benefit from his contributions through this new role.”

    Mr Kailash has been with the company for over 10 years, having made significant and consistent contributions to the Ad Sales function. Most recently, Mr Kailash led the ICC Cricket World Cup Ad Sales effort and set new benchmarks in the media industry. In addition to Mr Kailash’s Ad Sales experience, he has developed a deep understanding of the various facets of this business, and forged strong relationships with clients and key associates over the years. He has been keenly involved in the Programming & Scheduling aspects of the business and contributed to the start-up of the Event Management Group in India, as well as growing the Digital Media business for the company.

    T S Panesar will continue to head Affiliate Sales including both Cable & DTH business and Ad Sales will be led by Anup Govindan, both of whom will report to Sanjay Kailash.

    ESPN STAR Sports India’s content line-up includes major sports events across the globe, such as the top cricket rights for premium International Cricket Council events, the successful Champions League Twenty20 as well as international and domestic cricket from Cricket Australia and the England & Wales Cricket Board; Grand Slam tennis events including the season-opening Grand Slam of the Asia/Pacific in the Australian Open along with the iconic Wimbledon Championship; top quality football in Barclays Premier League; premium motorsports events in Formula 1 and MotoGP; the Golf Majors such as The Masters, US Open and The Open Championship, in addition to the highly-anticipated London 2012 Olympic Games scheduled to begin in July next year.