World’s number one cricket website, Cricinfo.com has been acquired by world’s number one sports entertainment company. Cricinfo is a property of UK based Wisden Group while ESPN is a part of the media conglomerate ‘The Walt Disney Company’.
This acquisition enhances ESPN’s portfolio, and adds to the list of various TV channels, mobile, radio, gaming and web-content. Probably, ESPN wants to expand its operations in India (it already has a tieup with STAR Group) and chose the best available media platform, as cricket is still a synonym for sports in India. Incidentally, cricinfo is also very much India-centric as evident from its editors, reports and coverage.
For Cricinfo, it would have better access to technology, design and multimedia facilities, and would have a wider reach through mobile applications and world’s leading internet portals. There may also be an integration of internet and TV with live streaming cricket videos on cricinfo website. Also, ESPN-Star’s to be launched channel ‘Star Cricket’ will be a perfect fit for integrating the online and TV content.
Thus this may be a merger benefiting both the companies, enhancing the cricket viewing experience and realising full potential of cricket worldwide.
Recently, Cricinfo.com got the award for best cricketing site in the PC World Web Awards.
Find this article at: http://www.labnol.org/india/corporate/espn-acquires-cricinfo/381/
