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.

MUMBAI: Cricket fans in the United States will have a chance to watch the ICC World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012 at no additional cost for the first time in September, after ESPN3 was confirmed by ESPN STAR Sports, ICC?s global broadcast partner, as the network in the US for the tournament.

And as a part of the build-up to the ICC World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012, India legend Anil Kumble will travel to the United States this weekend for a series of events promoting the tournament being held in Sri Lanka between 18 September and 7 October 2012.

Kumble will ring the Nasdaq closing bell on Friday in New York City. On Sunday hundreds of thousands of people will take the streets for the annual India Day Parade through the city, where fans will have a chance to see the Indian legend with the ICC World Twenty20 2012 trophies on the ESPN3 float.

The annual India Day Parade, which will be held in New York by Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), is a big celebration for the India community in the United States and also includes other prominent Indian celebrities like actor Saif Ali Khan.

Kumble was thrilled to be leading the efforts to promote the sport to cricket fans in the US ahead of the ICC World Twenty20.

"Twenty20 has for long been considered a product fit for an American audience. I am therefore thrilled to be part of the first major celebration of cricket in the USA for ICC World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012. I am also particularly excited about getting an opportunity to ring the closing bell at NASDAQ and to be part of the India Day Parade on the iconic Madison Avenue," said Kumble.

Kumble also believes live coverage of the tournament at no additional cost to fans will help spread the game to a bigger audience.

"Cricket has also always been a huge draw among the expat Indian population in the USA. So the live coverage of ICC World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012 on ESPN3 in the US will help us get our great game to a bigger and wider audience,? added Kumble.

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson too was delighted at the exciting new opportunity offered by ESPN3 telecasting ICC World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012 in the United States.

"The fact that cricket fans in the United States will be able to get free-to-air coverage on ESPN3 is a significant development for the growth of cricket in this important market. There can be no one better to spread the word about the excitement and energy of cricket ? and Twenty20 cricket in particular ? than Anil Kumble. I am sure that he and all those attending the annual India Day Parade on Madison Avenue ? one of the most famous streets in New York ? will have a memorable time."

MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports has kicked off the 2012-13 Barclays Premier League season with the launch of the latest edition of ESPNSTAR.com Football Manager.

Following on from a success of last season which saw 46 per cent increase in unique players across Asia, ESPN STAR Sports will be giving football fans the chance to win a share of $25,000 in cash prizes playing this season?s ESPNSTAR.com Football Manager.

The grand prize winner, who accumulates the most number of points in the season, will walk away with $10,000. A monthly prize of $1,000 for the player that scores the most number of points for that month is also up for grabs.

A new feature this year in ESPNSTAR.com Football Manager is that the participants will get an opportunity to compete against resident ESPN STAR Sports football experts and presenters.

Participants will find themselves pitting their skills against familiar names such as former Liverpool player Steve McMahon, and football experts such as Andrew Leci, Doug Chalmers, Jamie Reeves, Paul Parker and Paul Masefield. Participants will also be able to challenge ESPN STAR Sports? SportsCenter presenters Steve Dawson, Christy Simson, Jason de la Pena and Colette Wong. The heat is on!

In addition, participants will now also be able to bring their passion to the next level and beyond, as ESPNSTAR.com Football Manager has been optimised for mobile and tablet devices, allowing participants to manage their teams whenever and wherever they choose for added fun.

Participants can form a mini-league against friends or colleagues or they can test their skills against everyone in the game to claim the title of Asia?s ultimate ESPNSTAR.com Football Manager to win the grand prize.

Andy Penders and his team of football experts will provide Football Manager tips and analysis on ESPN STAR Sports programme ?Scorecast? every week.