ESPN will bring bolwers and batsmen to U.S. fans with its live and on-demand coverage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
The 49-match tournament, running from Feb. 13 through March 29, will be available via subscription streaming service, ESPNcricket2015.com, which bows on Feb. 3. All of the matches will be available live and on replay for $99.99, in both English and Hindi. ESPN is only selling the package on a full subscription basis.
Additionally, ESPN has reached agreements with Dish Network, Mediacom and Time Warner Cable to make all 49 matches available live and in the high-definition format to their subscribers via each company’s pay-per-view platform. The disributors will set their own pricing structures and their packages include all 49 matches in English, plus ESPN’s flagship 30-minute pre- and post- match studio program ESPNcricinfo Match Point . Fans can subscribe by contacting the operators or ordering through their set-top box.
The ICC Cricket World Cup from Sydney, Australia comprises a 14-nation pool competing in One Day International matches. The schedule is available here.
ESPNcricket2015.com will launch live and begin taking subscriptions on Feb. 3. Fans subscribe online, and can then watch matches on ESPNcricket2015.com or download and watch on the ESPN Cricket 2015 app for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, launching on Feb. 11.
For ESPN's $99.99 subscription fee, fans receive complete coverage including all matches with English and Hindi-language commentary streams, full and condensed (60-minute) replays on-demand and the ESPN’s flagship pre-, post- and mid-innings studio program ESPNcricinfo Match Point. ESPNcricinfo’s Match Point will be televised three times daily from on-site overlooking Sydney Harbour. Each show will range from 15 to 30 minutes, and will be hosted by Isa Guha and Raunak Kapoor. Joining them will be a panel of international experts including Michael Holding, Jonathon Trott and Ajit Agarkar.
“The Cricket World Cup is a unique event and we are excited to deliver it to fans in a new and unique way with the launch of ESPNcricket2015.com and our agreements with Dish Network, Mediacom and Time Warner Cable,” said Russell Wolff, executive vice president, ESPN. “As a complement to our core networks and the value of the multichannel environment, the launch of ESPNcricket2015.com is a dynamic way for us to deliver this event while continuing to explore with new ways to reach tech-savvy consumers and develop new expertise and agility in a dynamic media environment.”
