ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) has been awarded the Global Commercial Rights to cricket’s new Champions League Twenty20 for the next ten years till 2017. The deal gives ESS the exclusive Global Commercial Rights for all the matches in the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 season, due to be held from December 3 – 10, and for all upcoming seasons until 2017. The deal awards ESS a multitude of rights across various platforms, including television, internet, mobile and radio. In addition, ESS will also have all title rights, event sponsorship, ground rights and merchandizing rights around the property. The Champions League Twenty20, developed by three founding member boards, the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa, is set to become the world’s top international Twenty20 cricket tournament involving domestic sides. Eight teams, consisting of the reigning winners and runners-up from the domestic Twenty20 competitions in India, Australia and South Africa, plus the winners of 2008 Twenty20 championships from Pakistan, and the reigning Twenty20 Cup champion from England, Middlesex, have been invited to contest the 2008 Champions League Twenty20.