Indian Subcontinent

Entertainment & Sports Direct (ESD), promoted by investment advisory and private equity company DAR Capital Grouphas, has won the theatre rights to the Indian Premier League cricket tournament from 2010-2019. The ten-year deal is worth Rs 330 crore ($71 million).

Sony's Entertainment Television Network's channel SET Max, the official broadcaster of cricket’s Indian Premier League (IPL), is estimated to bring in over Rs 650 crore ($135 million) for the 2010 edition of the competition, 30 per cent higher than in 2009.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) yesterday opened the bidding process for sponsorship rights for India’s four national cricket teams, including the men’s senior team.

Rukin Kizilbash, Indian General Manager of Asian sports broadcaster Ten Sports’ parent company Taj TV, has resigned after seven years with the company.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has come together with other cricket boards in an attempt to fight international piracy.

Neo Cricket, the specialist channel of Indian sports broadcaster Neo Sports, signed six sponsors for the India-Australia seven-match ODI cricket series that began yesterday.

Pay-broadcaster Nimbus is reported to be close to a deal with the BCCI for the television rights for cricket matches played in India.

Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the organising committee for the 2010 Indian Commonwealth Games, yesterday called for the removal of Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) chief executive Mike Hooper for "obstructing" preparations for the event.

Commonwealth Games Federation chief Mike Fennell has warned Delhi it faces a major challenge to be ready to host next year's games.

Indian motorcycle maker Hero Honda has agreed a deal to title sponsors the India-Australia One Day International cricket series.

The National Basketball Association is to add between 10 and 50 employees in countries including China and India, the league’s commissioner David Stern has said, speaking at a pre-season exhibition game in London.

ESPN Star Sports (ESS), the Asian arm of the international sports broadcaster, has held on to its media rights for the English Premier League in Asia, agreeing deals covering 18 markets until 2013.

The head of the Commonwealth Games Federation has urged the organisers of next year’s Games in New Delhi to hire foreign experts to complete behind-schedule preparations for the event.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Shashank Manohar could be set for a head-on clash with the franchises of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after he said the franchises will not be compensated for any expenses incurred in South Africa during this year’s competition.

Pan-Asian broadcaster ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has said it is targeting an aggressive growth in pay-TV revenues on the back of four high-profile sporting events over the next 12 months.

WTA chief executive Stacey Allaster has highlighted the strength of the property she heads up by pointing out it lost only one of 51 title sponsors during 2009, a year of recession for some of its biggest markets.