BT Sport to show live IPL 2019 this year in last-minute boost to UK cricket fans
BT SPORT has sealed a late deal to screen the Indian Premier League in the UK this year.
The subscription broadcaster has moved in quickly to snap up the rights to the IPL after rivals Sky Sports lost them.
Sky have been screening the action from the richest cricket league in the world since 2015 and thought they had secured the right to show them for the next few years.
But their agreement signed last year included an option for the host broadcaster Star Sports to regain them after year.
And the Indian-based company exercised that option to screen the matches in the UK through their own channel Star Gold, meaning Sky missed out.
And behind the scenes Star Sports were in negotiations with BT Sport over allowing them to gain the rights.
An agreement has now been reached between the two, meaning BT Sport will show at least one game every day throughout the 60-match competition.
It is the 12th year the Twenty20 tournament is being played in India, where it is backed by huge financial muscle.
The IPL begins today when Chennai Super Kings face Royal Challengers Bangalore.
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Several English qualified players are taking part this year, with Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer all snapped up by Rajasthan Royals.
Sam Curran was bought for £800,000 by Kings XI Punjab, while Jonny Bairstow will figure for the first time with Sunsrisers Hyderabad.
But England’s one-day and T20 captain Eoin Morgan went unsold at the auction, and Test captain Joe Root decided not to take part.