ESPN International and Cricket West Indies have reached a four-year renewal for rights via all means and media for the West Indies Super50 Cup, it was announced today. The new agreement provides ESPN International with rights on its linear and digital platforms throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, and select territories in Asia (excluding India) through 2021.

The new agreement includes exclusive rights to 13 matches, including the semifinals and final. In addition to live matches, the deal includes rights to a one-hour highlights program from each televised match. ESPN’s coverage begins today, Thursday, October 4 with action from 13 of the tournament’s 43 matches from Kensington Oval in Barbados on ESPN Caribbean. ESPN Play (www.espnplay.com) — ESPN’s multiscreen live and on-demand broadband service, will stream all the matches live; and ESPNcricinfo.com will provide real time updates, scores and news throughout the tournament

“This renewal underscores our commitment to deliver world-class content to cricket fans across regions,” said Scott McGlone, ESPN International’s Senior Director of Programming.  “We have a long history as a broadcaster of the West Indies Super50 Cup and we are eager to build on the success we have had over many years in presenting the tournament to our viewers.”

Commercial Director, Dominic Warne, says “we’re delighted to extend our successful agreement with ESPN and extend the live TV coverage of the Super50. Our long-term aim is to increase accessibility to live cricket for West Indies cricket fans and increase the profile of the Super50 Cup. ESPN’s increased support enables us to better showcase the Super50 tournament and the cricket talent in the region, ensuring the highest quality live broadcast and highlights reaches over a million households in the Caribbean as well as fans overseas.  In conjunction with the streaming on the relaunched Windiescricket.com website and our YouTube channel, the Super50 is getting better coverage than ever before and we hope fans will enjoy the modern, fresher presentation that ESPN delivers.”

10 preliminary matches will be aired from Group B (Barbados) which consists of last year’s beaten finalist and host nation, Barbados Pride, as well as Leeward Islands Hurricanes, Jamaica Scorpions, Combined Campuses & Colleges (C.C.C.) Marooners and the United States. Group A, played in Trinidad, will consist of the current champs, Windward Islands Volcanoes, the T&T Red Force, Guyana Jaguars, WINDIES B and Canada.

The top two from each Group will then advance to the semis on October 25 and 26 at Kensington Oval. The Grand Final is slated for October 28 at the same venue. Follow all the action at #ESPNS50 as ESPN Caribbean continues to connect the region’s fans with the sports they love.

With some important and exciting cricket to come, the strength of the T&T Red Force, the youth of the Windward Islands, the future looks bright with the WINDIES B along with players looking to play in the ODI series against India and Bangladesh; with the ultimate, the CWC 2019 – all set the Foundation for an exciting run for the region’s best 50-overs players.

2018 West Indies Super50 Cup Fixtures: LIVE on ESPN Caribbean, ESPN Play

-ESPN