ESPN Star Sports 20-20 TV Broadcasting deal with ICC........

Asian broadcaster ESPN Star Sports have paid £513million for exclusive television rights to the Twenty20 Champions League.

The deal covers the next 10 years, with the inaugural tournament - featuring Twenty20 Cup winners Middlesex - taking place in December.

ESPN's massive cash investment represents the most lucrative rights contract ever agreed in the sport on a per-game basis and is the latest in a series of big-money deals, including those involving Sir Allen Stanford, to flood cricket since the inception of the shortest format of the game.

"We believe we have secured the best commercial deal for the Champions League Twenty20 and for cricket fans across the world," said Lalit Modi, chairman and commissioner of the Indian Premier League and vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

ESS managing director Manu Sawhney added: "This (deal) is a testament to our commitment to the game of cricket and fans as we cement our relationship with the BCCI, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa."