Indian cricket fans can watch Hong Kong World Sixes as distributor lands big-name broadcast partners
Organisers are hoping to exceed the T20 Blitz viewing figures from a potential viewing audience of 180 million
Cricket Hong Kong’s host broadcaster for this weekend’s World Sixes has secured a potential audience of 180 million across all media platforms around the world – including India – but organisers will be happy if they can exceed the 12 million online views they received for March’s Hong Kong T20 Blitz.
Global TV sports producer and distributor Sunset+Vine has landed some big-name broadcasters for the revived tournament, to be held this weekend at the Kowloon Cricket Club.
These include BT Sport in the United Kingdom, Neo Sports in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Fox Sports in Australia, Fox Sports Asia and Sky New Zealand, among others.
Also signed up is the online platform Unilad Sports, which has 860,000 subscribers.
India has traditionally snubbed the Hong Kong Sixes and Blitz in terms of sending teams and players but the country’s passionate cricket fans still tune in to the tournaments.
CHK broadcast consultant Gary Burchett hailed Sunset+Vine for signing up 21 partners in just over three weeks.
“We have a live audience reach of 180 million but we’re not going to get that many eyeballs,” said Burchett. “The 2017 Blitz received 12 million views and we would like to think that with this established event we can comfortably eclipse what we did in the Blitz.
“That was five days of content while the Sixes is two days of cricket. The last time the Sixes was on, in 2012, live streaming was not really a concept.
“In many instances this is a real test for us, it is the foundation and a blueprint for how cricket can be enjoyed around the world.
“Cricket Hong Kong’s aim is very clear in that it wants to take the Sixes to all corners of the world, and that’s what we are trying to do.”
Apart from broadcast partners, the 22 matches over the two days will be shown live on Facebook and YouTube, while fans can also watch the action and obtain updates on a CHK mobile app that will be available for downloading from today.
A major boost for the tournament is landing broadcasters Neo Sports and D Sports in India, with a potential audience of tens of millions.
“India was a huge market for us and when you look back at the Blitz, India was by far and away our biggest demographic,” said Burchett.
“They are the most passionate cricket country on earth so to have Indian broadcasters on board is a great boost for us.”
Sunset+Vine is the official television and media producer and distributor for the ICC and the company’s standing in world cricket has helped attract broadcasting partners for the Sixes.
“To secure a production partner in the calibre of Sunset+Vine and then to be able to attract broadcasting partners such as Neo, Fox and Astro, in Malaysia, BT in the UK in addition to some premium corporate partners such as Accenture, Hublot and Virgin is an impressive accomplishment,” said Burchett.
