Cricket: Ten Sports in talks with SLC to acquire TV deal

Ten Sports where Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has signed its International TV broadcasting agreement has closed on a $385 million acquisition with deal Sony Pictures Networks which is a major cricket broadcaster in Asia. 

Sony Corp-owned SPN holds broadcast rights for the annual cash-rich Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket tournament while also having the rights for the domestic leagues in South Africa and the West Indies. 

TEN sports will now add all three formats of international cricket to the network with the broadcast rights of boards in South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe. 

It is understood that SLC chief Sumathipala is not happy with the existing deal with Ten Sports and he feels that Sri Lanka has undersold TV deal. 

An insider said that SLC is keen have a re-look at the deal. 

However the SLC-Ten Sports deal was signed in 2013 under the Jayantha Dharmadasa administration and it is up renewal only 2020.