High demand for India-Japan T20I, Netflix likely to buy global rights

Star Sports and FanCode have bagged TV and digital rights in India for the one-off September 22 fixture

Mumbai: India and Japan facing off on the cricket pitch for the first time is attracting significant commercial interest with Star Sports and FanCode having bagged the TV and digital rights in India for the landmark fixture, to be played at Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi, Japan on September 22.

File picture of India T20I skipper Shreyas Iyer. (AP Photo)

For the global streaming rights, leading players Netflix, Amazon, Prime YouTube and DAZN are in the running, HT learns. International bids will soon be submitted with winners likely to be announced a day later.

On the sponsorship front, Suzuki have jumped in on the opportunity as title sponsors with TCS, Mitsui Knowledge Industry, MUFG bank and Mizuno joining the bandwagon as associate sponsors. ITW Universe has the global production, broadcast, distribution and marketing rights.

On the face of it, the one-off T20I is likely to be a mismatch of epic proportions with world champions India taking on 41st ranked Japan. The match which leads up to the Asian Games, being hosted by Japan from September 19 to October 4, doesn’t even enjoy prime time viewing space with 9.30 am being the starting time in India.

But this isn’t a random T20I adding to the clutter in the international cricket calendar. The unique positioning of the fixture, being part of the flagship ‘Sport 75’ initiative - the match celebrates 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations - is inviting unusually high commercial interest, evidence of the scope for cricket to move beyond traditional markets via the T20 route.

“India playing Japan on Japanese soil for the very first time is a monumental moment for global cricket. Having full control over the broadcast and commercial footprint allows us to build a premium, world-class experience for viewers while offering an unmissable, first-mover platform for brands and media networks,” Bhairav Shanth, Co-Founder, ITW Universe, said.

Naoki Alex Miyaji, CEO, Japan Cricket Association (JCA), said, “Bringing the Indian cricket team to Japanese soil for this historic T20I is a defining milestone for the growth of cricket in Japan. It will give fans in Japan, India, and around the world a top-tier viewing experience while inspiring a whole new generation of cricket enthusiasts in our country.”

The cricket competition at the Asian Games run from September 24 to October 3.