New Delhi/Mumbai, Nov 18 (ANI/Business Wire India): ESPN STAR Sports (ESS), Asia's leading Sports Broadcaster, has been appointed the preferred bidder as the long-term global television production partner for the Champions League 2020 tournament by Champions League 2020.

ESPN STAR Sports recently acquired exclusive global commercial rights of the league for a period of 10 years after a successful bid. ESS and Champions League 2020 are currently finalising the necessary long form agreement.

ESS has lined up a series of innovative and new features to create the most compelling presentation of the tournament that begins December 3, 2008 in India. One of the firsts includes a High Definition (HD) telecast of the championship, making it the first HD telecast for any sporting event in the Indian subcontinent. Another first will be the use of as many as 34 cameras at each venue to cover all the matches - the highest number of cameras used to cover any multi venue cricket tournament to date. It will include many interesting angles like aerial views with Fly cameras, a boundary side field camera to showcase fielding and a new mid-wicket camera position to highlight running between the wickets that will deliver another new viewing dimension to viewers.

To capture every moment of the fast paced action both on and off the field, ESS will use Super Slo Motion cameras at each match, player and umpire microphones as well as new dugout and crowd cameras to capture the reactions and emotions off the field, bringing fans closer to the action like never before.

In addition, ESS will be using a new suite of graphics for the broadcast, specially developed for the Champions League 2020 by a Hollywood based production house, and utilizing a range of new statistics specifically tailored for the Twenty20 format to further enhance the viewing experience of audience.

In addition, a special anthem for the tournament has been composed by the renowned music maestro A R Rahman who is known for his stellar work that transcends boundaries and has various hits under his belt including the popular international musical 'Bombay Dreams'. Different versions of the anthem will feature in the presentation including title sequence, music video and other on-air elements.

Manu Sawhney, Managing Director, ESPN STAR Sports, said, "Champions League 2020 is the marquee global tournament where only the top Twenty20 club teams from top cricketing nations qualify to compete for the greatest honour, to be adjudged as the Champion of Champions. This World Championship therefore positions itself as a one of its kind international tournament. We are committed to setting a new benchmark in the way cricket will be produced, presented and distributed across the globe."

"Therefore, our global production plan will create the most memorable, unique and engaging experience for audiences across the globe through a series of innovative production features and enhancements. With the phenomenal success that we have had with the inaugural ICC Twenty20 World Cup last year, we are confident that we will be able to take this exciting Champions League 2020 to new heights as well. This world-class event will further reinforce ESS' position as the number one choice for cricket fans for years to come."

Lalit Modi, Chairman, Champions League 2020, said, "We are very pleased to award the global production rights to ESS. Over the years, ESS has produced and presented the game of cricket in a manner that is truly Gold Standard. We are confident that with many new innovative and unique features that ESS had planned for the inaugural Champions League 2020, fans across the globe can look forward to the most compelling and riveting action on television."

James Sutherland, Chief Executive Officer, Cricket Australia, said, "With ESPN STAR Sports as our global production partner as well as the global commercial rights holder, we are confident that this fantastic new competition will be shown in a manner that will truly revolutionize the game of cricket. This will not only appeal to discerning cricket fans across the globe but will also captivate and bring in new audiences to the game of cricket thus further expanding the popularity of the game of cricket".

Gerald Majola, Chief Executive of Cricket South Africa, said, "Having ESPN STAR Sports as our Champions League global production partner will significantly enhance the international stature of the Champions League 2020 and am confident the high quality production and global broadcast of the Champions League 2020 will ignite the passion of cricket lovers the world over."

ANI