Nimbus bags India / Ireland ODIs

Following ZEE Network’s scrapping of the BCCI deal for India matches played at neutral venues, Harish Thawani’s Nimbus Communications today confirmed it had clinched the four cricket one-day internationals to be played by India in Ireland in June.

According to reports, Nimbus will pay $6.05 million per match for the series that is to be played from 26th June to 1st July, Cricket Board (BCCI) Vice President Lalit Modi announced. “Nimbus has come back and accepted the offer of the BCCI and agreed to telecast the next few matches which are going to be held in Ireland and Scotland this year. The contracted amount is $6.05 million per match,” Modi said. The series involves three ODIs against South Africa and another against Ireland in Belfast.

It was last April, the BCCI had awarded ZEE Network the rights for the India matches. ZEE at the time paid a whopping $219.15 million for 25 matches spread over five years ($8.77 million per match).

In other cricket TV rights developments today, ESPN STAR Sports has won the rights of the upcoming Afro Asia Cup from the Asian Cricket Council after Nimbus walked away from the deal yesterday.

UK telecasters are yet to be confirmed for both series’.