The International Cricket Council (ICC), in its guidelines for media coverage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, which begins on the 14th of February 2015, has restricted accredited media personnel from providing transmitting match related scores, (match) results, images, commentary, whether via radio, TV, the Internet, mobile phones, without explicit permission of the ICC Development (International) Limited. Check clause 12.2 (a) here. As per clause 12.5, no entity that wants to distribute videos, pictures, sounds, data, results scores or commentary via mobile will get accreditation.
This is bizarre, because media publications that might publish results, scores and pictures online, leave alone commentary, would end up being distributed via their own mobile apps.
Apart from this, the following is restricted for media personnel:
- All ball-by-ball and/or over-by-over audio updates, whether live, deferred or delayed, via Radio, the Internet or mobile devices. (clause 12.4)
- Distributing, selling, licensing or publishing any photographs, video recordings or sound recordings, except without permission of the ICC Development (International) Limited. (clause 12.2 (b))
This suggests that media personnel aren’t allowed to update Facebook or Twitter with their own photographs taken at the venue, since that would amount to distribution and/or publishing.
- No photographs taken at the venue may be sold by the media organisation, or published for a commercial purpose (for example, in a coffee table book). (clause 12.3 (a) and (b))
Applicants and Accredited parties have to agree that all commercial rights for the event are the property of the ICC Development (International) Limited.
Star Again!
These guidelines come in the wake of the ICC’s partnership with Star India and Star Middle East, which the ICC has called “cricket’s biggest-ever global broadcast agreement”, for an undisclosed amount. The deal spans eight years (2015 to 2023), and includes 18 ICC tournaments, including two ICC Cricket World Cups (2019 and 2023), two ICC Champions Trophy tournaments (2017 and 2021) and two ICC World Twenty20 tournaments (2016 and 2020). Apart from the World Cups, Star has rights to BCCI events, though not the Indian Premier League.
It’s worth noting that Star is fighting the Hot News case in the Supreme Court of India, trying to claim ownership of Cricket scores and prevent ball by ball commentary online and on mobile.
ICC Events 2015-2023
The following ICC Events are included in the audio-visual rights packages:
ICC major global events:
ICC World Twenty20 2016 – India
ICC Champions Trophy 2017 – England and Wales
ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 – England and Wales
ICC World Twenty20 2020 – Australia
ICC Champions Trophy 2021 – India
ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 – India
ICC qualifying events:
ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015 – Ireland and Scotland
ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 – Bangladesh
ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2019 – TBC
ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2022 – Zimbabwe
Other ICC events:
ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2016 – Bangladesh
ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 – England and Wales
ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2018 – New Zealand
ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2018 – West Indies
ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020 – South Africa
ICC Women’s World Cup 2021 – New Zealand
ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2022 – West Indies
ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2022 – South Africa
Source: Medianama.com
