The International Cricket Council (ICC) and Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, have announced a multi-year extension to their global partnership.

The long-standing partnership, already in its third decade, is set to become one of the most established in world sport and extends to 28 ICC men’s and women’s events until 2031, including the Cricket World Cup, T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy.

The announcement of Emirates as a Premier Partner comes ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, which will be hosted in the West Indies and the United States next month, an event at which the global airline will be highly visible and active, ICC said in a media statement.

Emirates will continue to hold the exclusive naming rights to the Emirates ICC’s Elite Panel of Umpires and Match Referees, and ICC Match Officials will take to the field in the West Indies and the United States with Emirates’ Fly Better branding on their apparel. The airline will be associated with the Decision Review System and Third Umpire decision announcements in-game, ensuring that Emirates is synonymous with pivotal match moments.

ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said: “We are delighted to renew our partnership with Emirates, as we continue our efforts to develop and grow the game around the world. Emirates has long been a valued partner in our journey and as a leading global brand, we continue together to connect people from all corners of the world through cricket. This long-term renewal signifies new opportunities in our partnership starting with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and United States next month.”

Commenting on the partnership renewal, Adnan Kazim, Deputy President, and Chief Commercial Officer at Emirates, said: “Emirates’ association with cricket has helped us reach new fans around the world and support the growth of the game. Our partnership with the ICC is one of the most established in our global sports sponsorships portfolio and we are pleased to reaffirm our commitment to the sport and to enthusiasts worldwide by extending our association for another eight years.”

“We are also excited that our renewed partnership kicks off with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 next month, to connect with the cricket fan base in the US.”

The expanded marketing partnership will see Emirates develop even more engaging fan content and take up a greater presence on the ICC’s digital platforms. Emirates Fly Better Moments will provide a bite-size showcase of the best fielding highlights from ICC Events, available to fans around the globe daily throughout each World Cup.

Whilst on Emirates flights, cricket followers will have the opportunity to watch ICC content via the airline’s inflight entertainment system and younger fans will be able to interact with the Emirates brand through the online ICC Fan Zone, which is returning to the Metaverse on Roblox for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

BBC Bags Audio Rights Partnership for 2024-2027: The ICC also announced the BBC as its audio rights partner for the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland for all ICC events from 2024 to 2027.

 The strategic partnership will also see the BBC producing the Audio World Feed ensuring cricket fans around the globe have access to high-quality, live commentary and coverage of every major ICC event.

The collaboration with the BBC means that fans worldwide can tune in to the action through the ICC’s digital platforms starting with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup opening match USA against Canada on June 1. This partnership underscores the ICC’s commitment to enhancing the accessibility and reach of cricket to its diverse and passionate fan base.

In the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, the BBC will leverage its extensive broadcasting platforms, including BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC 5 Sports Extra, to bring comprehensive coverage of ICC events.

Additionally, the commentary and live audio feed will be accessible digitally via bbc.co.uk and BBC Sounds app allowing fans to follow the game wherever they are.

BBC Cricket coverage has been unparalleled with ICC men’s and women’s events covered since the first Women’s World Cup in 1973 through to the Men’s Cricket World Cup in India last year.

The partnership will cover all ICC senior men’s and women’s events and the semi-finals and finals of the men’s and women’s U19 World Cups from 2024 until 2027.

In addition to the live feed the BBC will also be producing Audio Podcasts that reviews every senior men’s event since 1975, including all ICC Cricket World Cups, ICC Champions Trophies, ICC T20 World Cups and the ICC World Test Championship Finals and for each senior women’s events since 2012, including all ICC Cricket World Cups, and ICC T20 World Cups, they will be available in the UK on BBC and globally on the ICC audio player.

Adam Mountford, BBC Head of Cricket, said: “It’s great news that we’ve extended our audio rights partnership with the ICC for another four years. We know from our 50+ years of broadcasting Men’s and Women’s world tournaments that these are events that really resonate with audiences and it’s brilliant that our new deal begins with England’s defence of their Men’s T20 World Cup title.”

(Images courtesy ICC website)