Disney Star is actively engaging advertisers and media agencies for the upcoming ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, set to commence on January 19 in South Africa. Despite being the opening event in the international cricket calendar for 2024, Disney Star is keeping advertising rates competitive, especially with significant senior cricket tournaments featuring India scheduled, such as the India-Afghanistan T20 series and the India-England test series.
Television ad rates for non-India matches in the U-19 World Cup are around Rs 50,000 per 10 seconds. India matches are being offered at Rs 1-2 lakh per 10 seconds, while semi-final and final matches are pitched at Rs 3 lakh per 10 seconds. On the digital front, non-India matches are priced at approximately Rs 30,000 per 10 seconds, India matches, Super Six stage matches, and semi-final/final matches at Rs 90,000 per 10 seconds, and only semi-final/final matches at Rs 1.15 lakh per 10 seconds.
Industry experts anticipate advertisers conserving their marketing efforts for the major cricket tournaments slated for the first half of the calendar year, including the India-Afghanistan and India-England bilateral series, Women’s Premier League, Men’s IPL, and ICC T20 World Cup.
Disney Star’s late push for the U-19 World Cup is seen as influenced by uncertainty surrounding the ICC TV media rights deal. The $1.5-billion TV sub-licensing deal with Zee, initiated in August 2022 for 2024-27 ICC tournaments, is yet to be concluded, with pending conditions precedent, including ICC approval for sub-licensing to Zee. In the absence of a resolution, Disney Star retains the digital rights for the 2024-27 ICC tournaments and will broadcast the Men’s IPL tournament on television and digital platforms.
The recent non-binding agreement between The Walt Disney Company and Reliance Industries to merge Disney Star with Viacom18 adds an additional layer of complexity, while Zee and Sony are negotiating to salvage their proposed $10-billion merger, with an extension until January 20.
