Indian Premier League signs with ITV
5 March 2010

The Indian Premier League (IPL) today announced that IPL 2010 will be broadcast in its entirety in the UK in an exclusive deal with ITV, the oldest and largest commercial television network in the UK. The deal, for IPL 2010 - the league’s third season, will result in 60 matches broadcast live across the ITV network over the 45 day season, beginning on Friday March 12th. The IPL will be available as part of a bespoke section of ITV.com. From a standing start in 2008, the IPL has become one of the best sporting innovations in global sport in recent time. Broadcast over all continents including Australia, U.S.A, the Middle East and Africa, the IPL last year captured a worldwide audience of 450 million in only its second year.

IPL 2010 - the league’s third season, is now set to take place back home in India following last year’s tournament being hosted in South Africa where the Deccan Chargers triumphed, captained by Adam Gilchrist.IPL 2010 will feature eight teams playing Twenty20 cricket, compete in a unique cricketing carnival with the participation of some of the world’s greatest players including Sachin Tendulkar, Kevin Pietersen, Shane Warne, Jacques Kallis and Chris Gayle.

Lalit Modi, Chairman and Commissioner of the IPL said: “This is a hugely significant deal for the IPL, given the large Indian and Asian diaspora. Cricket has a massive following in the UK and this landmark agreement is fantastic for those fans, for IPL and cricket as a whole. IPL is a truly global competition unlike any other in cricket and is ideally suited to the British passion for both cricket and entertainment. We are delighted that ITV has recognised the game’s appeal and are certain that it will pull out all the stops in ensuring that our fans have access to creative, innovative and enriching content that will be available in full, free to air, throughout the UK.”

IITV’s Director of Digital Channels and Acquisitions, Zai Bennett said: “In only two years, the Indian Premier League has already established itself as one of the world’s most high profile and exciting sports events which attracts some of the very best cricketers from around the globe. It’s an exciting acquisition for one of the UK’s fastest growing digital channels and we’re delighted to be able to offer the whole tournament free-to-air to our viewers.”

Indian Premier League

The IPL 2010 is ready to kick off on March 12th with some high voltage action expected between reigning champions the Deccan Chargers and the Kolkata Knight Riders at the D. Y. Patil Stadium at Navi Mumbai. IPL 2010 will be played over 45 days across India and will feature a grand total of 60 games, with the addition of a third place play-off. The league will also see the addition of four new home venues in the form of Cuttack and Nagpur for the Deccan Chargers, Ahmedabad for the Rajasthan Royals and Dharamsala for the Kings XI Punjab.

The Chennai Super Kings led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Deccan Chargers captained by Adam Gilchrist, the Delhi Daredevils led by Gautam Gambhir, the Kings X1 Punjab led by Kumar Sangakkara, the Kolkata Knight Riders captained by Sourav Ganguly, the Mumbai Indians led by Sachin Tendulkar, the Rajasthan Royals led by Shane Warne and the Royal Challengers Bangalore captained by Anil Kumble comprise the eigth teams that compete in the IPL.

For more information visit www.IPLT20.com the official online destination of the league.