Mumbai: Disney Star is the official production services partner of the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the ICC Men’s and Women’s T20 World Cup editions in 2024. This appointment continues the long-standing association between ICC and Disney Star, to deliver viewing experiences to fans across the world and follows the global broadcast of ICC Men’s World Cup 2023.
Over the past decade and a half, Disney Star and the ICC have collaborated worldwide to deliver global broadcasts. The ongoing tournament sees 20 teams playing 55 matches and is the first time that a marquee cricket tournament is being played on American soil. Disney Star said that it aims to elevate the viewing experience for the event by bringing viewers closer to the game and its heroes and capturing the myriad colors of fandom. The event played across nine venues, will see over 450 production personnel deployed across the US and Caribbean islands. 90 commentators from 12 countries will build narratives, elevate moments, tell compelling stories, and provide nuanced insights. It will be ably supported by production crews from 17 nations, and the broadcast is available in 11 languages.
Sanjog Gupta, head sports, Disney Star, said, “We’re thrilled to continue our collaboration with ICC as their production partner to bring the glory of their global marquee events to billions of viewers around the world. We remain committed to serving current fans and recruiting new ones across geographies, demographics, and devices by elevating the context of the tournament, taking fans deeper into the contests, enhancing narratives of the competition, and building seminal cultural moments around the ICC T20 World Cups. We hope fans enjoy this historic broadcast produced by Disney Star.”
Steve Smith, one of the commentators on the host broadcast, said, “My first real brush with commentary was with Star Sports earlier this year. Being a part of the roster for the host broadcast of ICC T20 World Cup 2024 is an incredible opportunity and I look forward to contributing with my knowledge of the T20 format and understanding of how the modern cricketer thinks, plans, and plays. I look forward to working closely with production crews from Disney Star.”
Irfan Pathan, one of the commentators for the Hindi broadcast, said, “I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of Star Sports’ historic broadcast for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. The Hindi coverage has been the driver of viewership growth and enhanced fan engagement in India. I am glad to see that the Hindi broadcast is being made available in multiple cricket-watching countries around the world including US and UK. I can’t wait to share this unique experience with fans globally.”
Ambati Rayudu, one of the commentators for the Telugu and Hindi broadcast, said, “This tournament will be unique in many ways. With 20 teams, 55 matches, and new venues, it’s a thrilling combination that I eagerly look forward to. Having recently started my commentary career, it was heart-warming to see the response from millions of fans to the Telugu broadcast. I will continue to strive to bring viewers sharp insights and forthright opinions on the game.”
For this event in the Americas, Disney Star said that it has developed a broadcast framework with its core objective of deepening relationships with core fans while growing interest among diverse cohorts of new and casual fans.
Building on the success of the vertical feed at the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023, Disney Star and the ICC will introduce an AI-supported vertical feed for the T20 World Cup —a world first for cricket. In addition to the vertical feed, designed for mobile devices, the broadcast will also entail a feed aimed at making the viewing experience for cricket more inclusive. A parallel service that caters to viewers with partial/complete hearing or sight impairment will also be available. The host broadcaster will also capture off-field moments as well as team and player preparations. It added that it will also deploy technology innovations to bring to fans in-depth analysis and visually compelling storytelling.
In addition to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, Disney Star will also produce the global broadcast of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, to be played in Bangladesh starting September 2024.
