MUMBAI: ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) has announced that former Australian spin bowler Shane Warne has signed on as a part of its commentary, presentation and analysis team for a period of three years.

Known for his forthright and honest opinions and a superb cricket brain, cricket fans can look forward to Warne?s analysis of the game starting with the England tour of India later this year in addition to Australia?s upcoming tour of India. The broadcaster says that having mastered the art of all formats of the game at the highest level, and his experience playing with and against some of the biggest names in modern day cricket, Warne?s unique insights will add immense value to ESS?s presentation of cricket.

Warne will also be actively involved in promoting Cricket related broadcast on ESPN Star Sports.

Warne for Australia has claimed over 1,000 wickets in Tests and One-day Internationals. In the new Twenty20 format of the game, Warne showed his ability as a strategist and as an inspiring leader when he led Rajasthan Royals to victory in the first edition of Indian Premier League.

ESS MD Peter Hutton said, "We?re delighted to add one of the legends of the game to our commentary team. Following on from the work with Kevin Pietersen it shows our intention to add the best international commentators to Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and the rest of our regular Indian team."

ESS senior VP production Huw Bevan said, "Warne?s unique experience and no-holds-barred insights will add immense value to ESS?s presentation of cricket. Fans in India would indeed be familiar with his achievements at the international level as well as his heroics for Rajasthan Royals, and we?re delighted to have him as part of our comprehensive cricket coverage."

MUMBAI: Rhiti Sports has roped in former ESPN Star Sports director finance and operations Sanjay Agrawal as the chief operating officer of the sports management agency as it seeks to become the clear cut leader in the space through aggressive growth.

Rhiti Sports has consolidated its fast growing verticals under a centralised structure under Agrawal.

Prior to Rhiti Sports, Agarwal held senior operations and finance roles in ESPN Star Sports for 11 years. Post his ESS stint, he served as the Regional Business Controller for telecom giant Nokia till September 2012.

Sanjay?s entry into Rhiti Sports coincides with the company?s growth into different verticals within sports such as Superbike Racing and Fitness Centres among others.

The core talent management business is also growing with the addition of Saina Nehwal to the portfolio which has Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the biggest client.

Rhiti had signed Nehwal for a three-year deal valued at Rs 400 million. A year before, it had its biggest catch in Dhoni who signed a three-year deal with the company for Rs 2.1 billion.

MUMBAI: News Corp?s decision to acquire Disney?s stake in their JV ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has been given the nod by the Competition Commission of India (CCI).

The competition watchdog has observed that the deal will not have any adverse impact on competition in the broadcast sector.

"Considering the presence of other sports channels in India such as DD Sports, Ten Action Plus, Ten Sports, Ten Cricket, Ten Golf, Sony Six, Neo Sports Plus, Neo Prime, etc, the proposed combination is not likely to give rise to any adverse competition concern in India," the watchdog said.

"As a result of the proposed combination, the partnership interest of News Corp in ESPN Star Sports would increase from 50 per cent to 100 per cent and consequentially, News Corp would acquire sole control over ESPN Star Sports," it added.

News Corp takes control over the subsidiaries of ESPN Star Sports -- ESPN Software India and Scorpio Television India. "Pursuant to the proposed combination, News Corp would also acquire control over 49 per cent interest of ESPN Star Sports in Premier Hockey Development Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between ESPN Star Sports and the Indian Hockey Federation," the order said.

MUMBAI: Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand, has become the third team to compete in the fledging Hockey India League with the joint-venture Patel-Unixcel Group taking the franchise rights.

The Ranchi team will be jointly owned by Bangalore-based Patel Group and the Chinese Taipei-based Unixcel Group. Former national Hockey player Banti Singh, who hails from Kolkata, has been appointed as the CEO of the franchise.

Hockey India-promoted HIL will have six franchisees which will compete in the event to be held every year from January 2013. Earlier, Sahara India and Jaypee Group had taken franchise rights for Lucknow and Punjab teams.

The global broadcast rights for the event are held by ESPN Star Sports.

"We are pleased to welcome the Patel-Unixcel Group on board," said Hockey India Secretary-General and Hockey India League Chairman Dr Narendra Batra. "We are sure that the Bangalore-based Patel Group and the Chinese Taipei-based Unixcel Group will provide a fantastic impetus to hockey in the region, which is a major nursery for the sport."

Uniexcel Group Chairman Suresh Kumar Chauhan said, "There could have been no better way to get in to sport than with a sport that has emotional connect with all of India," he said. "I am very delighted that we have got the Ranchi franchise as I come from Kolkata and always carry very strong feelings for eastern India."

MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports, the media rights holder for all International Cricket Council events till 2015, has closed a significant broadcast rights deal in Australia with Fox Sports and Channel Nine. The two Australian broadcasters will provide live coverage of every major ICC event from 2012 to 2015, including the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Fox Sports will provide live coverage of each tournament during the three-year agreement, including every match of the 2012 and 2014 ICC World T20 events, plus every match in the 2013 Champions Trophy and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.

Channel Nine will bring free-to-air viewers the action from all the big games in the 2012 and 2014 World T20 tournaments and again for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 on home soil.

The agreement covers 2012 and 2014 ICC World Twenty20, 2013 ICC Champions Trophy and, world cricket‘s premier event, the 2015 ICC World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Fox Sports CEO Patrick Delany said, "We are delighted to be partnering with Channel Nine and the ICC and are looking forward to delivering live and high definition coverage of all major international cricket tournaments to complement our exclusive coverage of Australia‘s international tours and national competitions including the KFC T20 Big Bash League.

"Last year we delivered an immersive Rugby World Cup experience, going beyond the live match coverage to tell the entire story of the tournament through our presence in and around the venues, fans, and Wallabies camp in New Zealand. The 2015 Cricket World Cup will be the biggest cricket event to hit our shores in over 20 years and we plan to offer fans the complete package."

Channel Nine MD Jeffrey Browne, said: "Nine‘s Wide World of Sports and big-time cricket are synonymous and to ultimately have the 2015 ICC World Cup played at home in Australia as part of this new deal is both a challenge and celebration we very much look forward to."

ESPN Star Sports Managing Director Peter Hutton, "We are delighted that we are able to extend our long term relationship with Fox Sports in Australia as we ensure that the ICC events are seen by cricket fans throughout the world. We look forward to the next ICC Cricket World Cup being the most watched cricket event in the history of the sport, and thank Fox for their support."

ICC General Manager - Commercial Campbell Jamieson said, "The ICC is delighted to have the continued support of major Australian broadcasters Fox Sports and the Nine Network for its events. These partnerships will ensure that fans in Australia continue to enjoy top quality broadcast coverage from premier cricket events, including the ICC Cricket World Cup, which will take place in Australia and New Zealand."

MUMBAI: Manu Sawhney, the managing director of ESPN Star Sports (ESS) till Star took over the joint venture, will join soccer club Manchester United as a director next month.

Sawhney?s role will involve making the Manchester United brand even bigger and helping it expand globally.

Manchester United raised $233 million and recently listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

This announcement coincides with the start of the Barclays Premier League. In the previous season the club narrowly missed out on being crowned champions due to a goal difference.

Sawhney has been with ESS for 16 years, having served in India as managing director before he moved to Singapore as the MD of the 50:50 joint venture between News Corp and Walt Disney.