Reliance’s Viacom 18 bags media rights for Major League Cricket

While the details of the deal were not mentioned, the Reliance flagship announced that the coverage will be on multiple platforms including live streaming on JioCinema and broadcast television coverage on Sports18.

Commenting on the partnership with the American league, Viacom18 Sports Head of Strategy, Partnerships & Acquisitions Hursh Shrivastava said that the company expects Indian cricket fans will enjoy action from the inaugural edition.

“JioCinema continues to change the landscape of sports consumption, and with Major League Cricket, fans will watch their favourite T20 cricketers and cheer for teams affiliated to their favourite franchisees,” he said.

Commencing on July 13, MLC will feature six teams of which four teams have investors from owners of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises. The flavour of IPL continues to reach to the US post a successful conclusion of South African T20 League. MLC will feature several IPL stars in its maiden season.

This includes MI New York (five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians), the LA Knight Riders (two-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders), the Texas Super Kings (five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings) and the Seattle Orcas (Delhi Capitals).However, the other two teams participating are San Francisco Unicorns and Washington Freedom. “The addition of the Major League Cricket strengthens Viacom18’s portfolio of world-class sporting events, including the Indian Premier League, SA20, India’s Tour of West Indies 2023, the Paris Olympics 2024, Ultimate Table Tennis, the World Padel League, the Global Chess League, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the NBA, Diamond League, LaLiga, Serie A, Ligue 1, and top BWF events,” Viacom 18 said in a release.

MLC will feature several IPL stars in its maiden season.

IPL veteran Kieron Pollard will represent MI New York with Rashid Khan, Nicholas Pooran, Trent Boult, Dewald Brevis and Kagiso Rabada on his side.

Meanwhile, LA Knight Riders will see Sunil Narine, Andre Rusell, Jason Roy, Adam Zampa and Martin Guptill suit up alongside former India U19 captain Unmukt Chand.

Texas Super Kings overseas group will feature the core of Chennai Super Kings with captain Faf Du Plessis leading from the front. The team will also be represented by Ambati Rayudu, Devon Conway, Dwayne Bravo and Mitchel Santner.

Further, Delhi Capitals representative Seattle Orcas picked former India U19 left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh. He will be accompanied by two top international T20 exponents in Quinton De Kock and Mitchell Marsh.

While Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, South Africa’s fast bowlers Anrich Nortje and Marco Jansen and Glenn Phillips along with former India U19 bowler Saurabh Netravalkar will represent the Washington Freedom, San Francisco Unicorns have signed Shane Watson as their head coach.

However, the team will also have Marcus Stoinis alongside Aaron Finch, who will lead the team in first-ever Domestic Draft for Major League Cricket. The Unicorns also picked former New Zealand international Corey Anderson in the first round, followed up by England’s World Cup winner Liam Plunkett in the second.

In an attempt to bring world class T20 cricket to America, the league will have 15 league matches played. However, the knock-out stage includes an eliminator, a qualifier and a challenger.

The final is all set to be played on July 30.

Full schedule of the Major League Cricket