ESPN Begins Cross-Platform, Multimedia Coverage of ICC Cricket World Cup

As the ICC Cricket World Cup begins, ESPN’s multimedia coverage of the quadrennial tournament steps up with live streaming coverage, original digital video series, extensive coverage and an updated smartphone app from the world’s leading digital cricket brand – ESPNcricinfo, and an ESPN Films documentary examining one of the icons of the world’s second most popular sport.

Hosted in Australia and New Zealand, the ICC Cricket World Cup will begins Friday, February 13 and runs through March 28 and will feature a 14-nation pool competing in One Day International (ODI) matches.

ESPNcricket2015.com and ESPNcricinfo Match Point

In the U.S., ESPN will provide live and on-demand coverage of the entire ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 (February 13 to March 28) on a dedicated subscription streaming service, ESPNcricket2015.com, accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and Roku devices.  All 49 matches will be available live and on replay for $99.99, along with ESPN’s signature studio program, ESPNcricinfo Match Point. ESPN Cricket 2015 will provide coverage in both English and Hindi.

Fans will subscribe online, and can then watch matches on ESPNcricket2015.com or download and watch on the ESPN Cricket 2015 app for iOS, Android and Roku.

Additionally, ESPN has reached agreements with DISH Network, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable and RCN to make all 49 matches available live to subscribers through each company’s pay per view platform.

ESPNcricinfo Match Point is ESPN’s flagship cricket studio program and will be available live three times daily — pre-, post- and mid-innings — throughout the tournament. From on-site from Mrs. Macquarie’s Point overlooking Sydney Harbor in Australia, each show will range from 15 to 30 minutes and will be hosted by Isa Guha and Raunak Kapoor. Joining them will be a panel of international experts including Michael Holding, Michael Bevan, Martin Crowe, Jonathan Trott and Ajit Agarkar. (starts Feb 13, 2015)

More details: http://es.pn/1yTVtl6

ESPN Films presents The Little Master

There are T-shirts in India that read: “If cricket is religion, then Sachin is God.”  Directed by Gotham Chopra, and narrated by Deepak Chopra, The Little Master is the story of that religion, and the man, Sachin Tendulkar.  Tendulkar already had millions of worshippers when he carried the hopes of Indians all over the world into the 2011 World Cup. The 5’5” batsman, who made his international debut at the age of 16 in 1989, is considered by many the greatest cricket player in history.

However, by the time India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were due to co-host the Cricket World Cup, there were concerns that “The Little Master” had become a mere mortal—just when his country needed him the most. And indeed, it appeared as though his quest for his first World Cup victory in six tries might end in failure. This is the dramatic tale of one man’s meeting with history—and a team’s meeting with greatness.

The Little Master will debut on ESPN networks in the Caribbean, US, Australia and New Zealand at the following times:

·         Caribbean                   Feb. 12            8pm ET on ESPN

·         US                               Feb. 15            9pm ET on ESPN

·         Australia/NZ                Feb. 22            9pm AET on ESPN

ESPNcricinfo – The World’s Leading Digital Cricket Brand

ESPNcricinfo will cover the Cricket World Cup in a global and comprehensive way that nobody except the leading voice in the sport can.  In time for the tournament, the site has launched a new look, with enhanced navigation, a fully responsive design that adapts to desktop, smartphone and tablet devices, easy discovery of the unmatched depth and breadth of quality stories, videos, news, scores, analysis, commentary, stats and more.

Coverage will include the views and opinions from some of the most legendary names in cricket, including Rahul Dravid, Ricky Ponting and Ian Chappell — all former World Cup captains, who will write columns and provide analysis throughout the tournament.  Some of the world’s most respected cricket writers, comm enters and journalists join them on the columnist roster, including Simon Barnes, Mark Nicholas, Ed Smith, Crowe, and Aakash Chopra.

Additionally, ESPNcricinfo will feature a multi-national team of correspondents to bring fans coverage of every match, providing news, analysis and color. The team of correspondents includes Sharda Urgra and Abhishek Purohit from India; Dan Brettig, Brydon Coverdale and Jarrod Kimber from Australia; George Dobell and Andrew McGlashan from England; Firdose Moonda from South Africa and Andrew Fernando from Sri Lanka.

Additional elements of ESPNcricinfo coverage include:

·         ESPNcricinfo Insights:  Leveraging ESPNcricinfo’s industry-leading depth and breadth of cricket statistics and data, ESPNcricinfo Insights is a go-to destination for cricket fans during the Cricket World Cup 2015.  Launching with the start of the tournament on Feb. 14, Insights is a unique platform that will allow fans to interact with statistics and numbers in an easy and engaging manner, unearth gems and historical factoids around cricket based on ESPNcricinfo’s leading content and data. www.espncricinfo.com/insights (begins Feb. 14)

·         Cricket World Cup Interactive Timeline:  ESPNcricinfo has produced a comprehensive timeline covering the highlights of all the Cricket World Cup tournaments from 1975 through to the present day. It features vignettes, overviews, quizzes, galleries and more across tournaments. www.espncricinfo.com/timeline

·         Travel Section:  ESPNcricinfo has produced a special travel section highlighting key information for anyone travelling to Australia and New Zealand to attend the tournament – or those just curious to learn about the host cities, venues and more.  It includes things to do and see, places to visit and eat, and more. www.espncricinfo.com/travel

ESPNcricinfo – Original Video Programming

ESPNcricinfo will provide a rich collection of original video programming for fans, examining the history of the World Cup, the key players from its past and present, the teams competing and the atmosphere and culture of the host nations.

Among the video series on ESPNcricinfo (www.cricinfo.com/worldcupvideos):

·         World Cup Vignettes:  A new video series that gives the opportunity to fans to relive 50 landmark moments from the ten previous World Cup tournaments. From exceptional individual performances to the raw emotion of the crowd, each vignette will features interviews from players, umpires and journalists. www.espncricinfo.com/vignettes

·         Men of the Finals:  Mark Nicholas hosts an original video series that examines the players who starred in cricket’s greatest show – the World Cup. He analyses cricketers – from Ponting to Dhoni, Gilchrist to Richards, Akram to de Silva – who have registered exceptional performances to help their country win cricket’s most coveted tournament. www.espncricinfo.com/motf

·         Contenders: Hosted by ESPNcricinfo’s Gaurav Kalra, Contenders is a new original video series featuring former India Captain Rahul Dravid and former South African Captain Graeme Smith providing in-depth analysis of each of the 14 teams participating in the tournament. Sponsored by Renault, each episode focuses on the core strengths, weaknesses and key issues facing each team, with special focus on the captain and key players. www.espncricinfo.com/contenders

·         On the Road:  A window to the people and places of the World Cup, On The Road is a travel and feature video series from ESPNcricinfo that includes travel diaries, features and photos from fans and travelling cricket journalists and more. www.espncricinfo.com/ontheroad.

ESPNcricinfo Collaborates with Facebook’s Internet.org Initiative in India

ESPNcricinfo has collaborated with Facebook’s Internet.org initiative, supporting the effort to connect more people to the Internet and its basic services. Facebook and Reliance Communications are, for the first time in India, making the internet available to millions of people in India through the launch of the Internet.org app and free basic services. ESPNcricinfo is one of the services now available through the Internet.org app in six Indian states ((Tamil Nadu, Mahararashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, and Telangana).

A reflection of ESPN’s mission to serve fans anywhere and anytime, ESPNcricinfo’s participation in Internet.org will allow millions of newly connected people in India to get the most authoritative and trusted voice for cricket news, scores and information. Other ESPN properties, such as ESPN FC, as well as ESPN’s participation in other emerging markets, are anticipated as part of a future continuation with the initiative.

More details: https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2015/02/internet-org-app-now-available-in-india/

ESPNcricinfo Collaborates with Google to Launch Now Cards

In an effort to provide quicker, compelling and relevant content to cricket fans across the world, ESPNcricinfo and Google have teamed up to launch Now cards for cricket. This launch is another way for cricket fans to receive real-time and relevant updates directly in the Google app on their favorite sport, anytime and anywhere on their Android devices.

More details: http://es.pn/16fssoA

New ESPNcricinfo App Update Now Available

In advance of the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, ESPNcricinfo has launched a new update to its signature mobile app, featuring its fastest ever performance and a range of new features. Delivering the most comprehensive cricket coverage from across the world, the refreshed app will enhance fans’ ability to stay up to date with the latest news, info, scores and more.

The app provides in-depth and quality cricket coverage that ESPNcricinfo is renowned for delivering to fans across the globe. Faster than ever live match scores and data alongside a range of new and updated features has increased user engagement with the app and provides additional methods of interaction with other cricket fans.

More details: http://es.pn/1zwhO8Z

ESPNcricinfo 2015 World Cup Special Edition Guide

ESPNcricinfo and ESPN The Magazine have teamed up for a special edition 2015 Cricket World Cup guide, providing fans with all that they need to know throughout the tournament, including:

·         Super Six: The men who could boss the World Cup

·         The most astute columnists in cricket – Rahul Dravid and Gideon Haigh

·         What the stats predict

·         30 page team preview section

The special edition is available to order online, and can be delivered anywhere in the world.  Order online here.

The Cricket Monthly

The Cricket Monthly is the world’s first digital-only cricket magazine, brought to fans each month by the team behind ESPNcricinfo.  The cover story of the World Cup Special Issue of The Cricket Monthly asks Tony Cozier, Christian Ryan, Tim De Lisle and Telford Vice the simple question:  Which was the best World Cup? www.espncricinfo.com/thecricketmonthly