Ten Sports retains TV rights for West Indies

Ten Sports, the Dubai-based broadcaster, has retained the global media rights for West Indies cricket, excluding UK, for the next four years at over US$60 million.

"I can confirm that we have awarded a part of the media rights to Ten Sports, though we will make an official announcement in London only next week," Tony Deyal, corporate secretary of WICB, told Cricinfo. "The media rights for UK has gone to Sky Sports for approximately $20 million while the Caribbean Media Corporation will be the broadcaster for our region."

Interestingly, the Indian board has committed to play four ODIs in West Indies next year out of the ICC's Future Tours Programme (FTP), and had recently sent a letter to the WICB asking it not to tie up with Zee TV, which owns a 50% stake in Ten Sports. "It was a routine advisory following a query from the Caribbean side," a BCCI official said.

"It's a confidential matter and I have nothing to say about this," Deyal said. "This is our media rights and we have taken a decision, which I can confirm. We will be able to answer any queries on that matter in London next week.

"Our team had gone to India to play four ODIs before the World Cup. And, we have a commitment from the BCCI that India would play four ODIs in the West Indies next year."

BCCI had blacklisted Zee TV last year after it pulled out of a five-year broadcast deal worth nearly $200m for 25 ODIs covering India's offshore series. Zee had opted out after failing to renegotiate the deal with the BCCI following a new government sports broadcasting signal bill, which the broadcasters claimed would result in huge losses.

West Indies were one of the few beneficiaries of that deal that barely lasted two years when they took part in a tri-series in Kuala Lumpur in 2006 involving India and Australia - they got $1m as appearance fee for each of their two pool games against India.