It has signed a three-year deal to show the cricket tournament
Sky Sports has secured a three-year deal to exclusively show the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the UK.
The broadcaster held the rights to the T20 tournament from 2015-18, but lost out to BT Sports at the last minute for 2019. It had been unable to agree a deal with the IPL’s global rights partner, Star India, which allowed its rival to swoop.
The competition joins a large portfolio of matches on Sky Sports, shown through its dedicated Sky Sports Cricket channel as well as others. This includes England international matches home and away, International Cricket Council tournaments such as the upcoming Men’s and Women’s T20 World Cups, domestic county matches, and new franchise tournament The Hundred.
Sky Sports managing director, Rob Webster, said: “The VIVO IPL is a truly spectacular competition and one that grips you from start to finish. The tournament features the world’s best T20 players, all playing in-front of thousands of passionate fans across the India.”
He added: “We’re thrilled to add the VIVO IPL to an already busy cricketing calendar for 2020.”
12 England internationals currently feature in the IPL, including the likes of Eoin Morgan, Ben Stokes, and Jofra Archer. This year the tournament will start on 29 March at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, India, and 60 games later will come to an end on 24 May at the same ground.
Image: Sky Sports