Dish Network Signs Ground Breaking IPL Broadcast Deal in US

US Pay-TV company Dish Network has has signed deals to broadcast the entire Indian Premier League (IPL), including playoffs and finals in high definition, for the next four seasons.

Additionally, the broadcaster has also signed agreements to launch Nimbus Communications’ promoted Neo Cricket and serve as the exclusive US provider of Zee Group owned Ten Cricket channel, giving Dish access to a total of nine cricket boards – the largest lineup of cricket programming in the US.

The IPL tournament in India, which entered its fourth season last week, features a new format with 10 teams, where a new play-off system will see the top two sides in the league standings play each other to determine the first finalist. The sides finishing third and fourth will then meet to determine which side plays the loser of the first play-off for the second final place.

The network will in turn air all 74 IPL tournament matches live this year on pay-per view – including exclusive TV coverage of the playoffs and finals in high definition.

On Tuesday, April 12, Dish also announced the launch of Neo Cricket, which has rights to all BCCI matches, Indian domestic cricket including the Ranji, Irani and Duleep Cups, and the Asia Cup as well as the launch of Ten Cricket, owner of four cricket boards including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe.

The combination of Neo Cricket and Ten Cricket with previously-launched Willow Cricket gives Dish customers access to the most cricket coverage in the United States and Chris Kuelling, vice president of International Programming for Dish, stated: “Dish Network’s carriage of the IPL and the launch of our Cricket Pack will offer our customers an anticipated 300 or more days of live cricket over the next year.

“Nowhere else can customers access more than 75 South Asian channels, watch every heart-stopping play in the IPL, and get year round coverage of their favorite cricket teams.”

S Venkatasubramanian, president of Neo Broadcast America, Inc., added: “We are glad to partner with Dish Network to continue our commitment toward providing world-class cricket.”

Suresh Bala, CEO of Asia TV USA LTD said: “We are thrilled to deliver Ten Cricket to fans in the US, who now can enjoy live coverage of four of the most popular cricket boards including Pakistan and Sri Lanka.”