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IPL 2010 rights sold to ITV in the UK

The free-to-air channel will use live feed from SET Max to telecast all 60 matches of IPL 2010 in the UK

With the third season of Indian Premier League (IPL) about to start on March 12, the management is busy signing deals. Recently, a deal has been signed with UK's commercial TV network, ITV.

IPL 2010 rights sold to ITV in the UK
As per this, all 60 matches of IPL 2010 will be broadcast in the UK on ITV over 45 days. The free-to-air channel in the UK will use live feed from SET Max.

This is the first time that live cricket would be shown on the ITV network. The matches will also be simulcast on ITV.com and ITV Mobile. Besides, highlights of the matches will also be available on ITV.com, as part of a special section on the website. The League will be heavily promoted across the ITV Network.

As of now, the deal is only for this season; but it might get extended, depending on mutual agreement between the two parties.

Though the UK-based network will use footage from SET Max, it will have its own shows around the League and its own studio guests. There will be no sharing of commercial ad spots between the two broadcasters either.

Through this arrangement with ITV Network, IPL 2010 will reach out to around 20 million homes in the UK.

IPL 2010 rights sold to ITV in the UK
In an official communiqué, Lalit Modi, chairman and commissioner, IPL says, "This is a hugely significant deal for the IPL, given the large Indian and Asian diaspora. Cricket has massive following in the UK; and this landmark agreement is fantastic for those fans, for IPL and cricket as a whole. IPL is a truly global competition, unlike any other in cricket, and is ideally suited to the British passion for both cricket and entertainment. We are delighted that ITV has recognised the game's appeal and are certain that it will pull out all the stops in ensuring that our fans have access to creative, innovative and enriching content, which will be available in full, free to air, throughout the UK."

For the record, IPL is broadcast across Australia, the US and Middle East, and reached out to 450 million people in its second year.

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