Disney
The company lost the right to stream the Indian Premier League recently, but has now won both TV and digital rights for all ICC events through the end of 2027 for a reported $3 billion
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Khaleej Times
26 minutes ago
- Khaleej Times
World Test Championship format needs revamping despite riveting final
A riveting World Test Championship final between Australia and South Africa went a long way to boost the sagging credentials of the five-day game, but the format of the competition is in need of a revamp, according to many of the game's top observers. South Africa beat Australia by five wickets at lunch on the fourth day of a fluctuating contest at Lord's in which the bowlers dominated the opening two days. A total of 24 wickets were taken, but the tables were turned as wickets turned benign and the batsmen changed the course of the match. It was classic Test cricket, as good as the excitement from any limited overs contest, but the overall WTC is a bewildering competition, devoid of uniformity and an unbalanced points system. There was much criticism of how South Africa managed to reach the final without playing either Australia and England in the two-year qualifying period. "It's very hard for the average cricket fan to understand who's the best team in the world and how exactly the top two teams make it to the final," said former England captain Michael Vaughan, now a television pundit. The two finalists are decided by a table of Test results, with points awarded for wins and draws. The pair with the highest percentage of points available to them advance to the final, which in 2027 could again be at Lord's or in India, according to International Cricket Council officials. But there was a major discrepancy in South Africa playing only 12 Tests compared to 19 for Australia and India, and even more by England (22). "I can't remember if I've ever even given any real time to be specifically thinking about the World Test Championship to be honest because it's utterly confusing," added England captain Ben Stokes. Countries are free to decide how many tests they want to play, and in South Africa's case, there is much less of an appetite for Test cricket because they lose money. In the next cycle, which starts on Tuesday when Bangladesh begin a two-Test series in Sri Lanka, the new champions will play 14 Tests, this time including three Test series against each of Australia and England but only two against India. Five Test series are now only the preserve of contests between Australia, England, and India. "The fixture list is uneven; not everyone plays everyone else, and some have an easier ride than others," wrote Michael Atherton last week. "Everyone knows the WTC in its present guise is flawed, and that solutions, with so many competing interests, are fiendishly difficult," added the former England skipper.
Zawya
3 hours ago
- Zawya
E& Egypt and MBC Group Shahid partner to deliver exclusive streaming experience to Egyptian customers
Cairo: e& Egypt and Shahid, the flagship streaming platform of MBC Group, have announced an exclusive strategic partnership to deliver Shahid's content library to e& Egypt customers across the country. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in enriching Egypt's digital entertainment landscape and strengthening both brands' presence in the market. The partnership reflects the shared vision of both companies to offer value-driven, digitally integrated entertainment solutions to a wide segment of Egyptian consumers. It also supports e& Egypt's digital transformation journey and Shahid's strategic presence in the Egyptian market. Under this partnership, e& Egypt customers will enjoy all content on Shahid platform exclusively as part of their bundle with direct integration with various e& Egypt offerings such as Emerald, VDSL, Hekaya, Demagh Tanya, Akwa Coins, and e& Cash. This collaboration reflects e& Egypt's direction towards digital transformation, with a strong focus on providing real added value to customers through smart partnerships with leading regional and global brands. It also supports the company's positioning as a fully integrated technology group offering telecom services alongside the best digital and entertainment provider in the region. 'Through this collaboration, we aim to empower our customers with access to premium Arabic content that aligns with their interests and aspirations, while offering exclusive benefits and a fully integrated entertainment experience,' Samer Mourad, Vice President of Consumer at e& Egypt, said. He added: "At e& Egypt, we are committed to delivering innovative services that meet the demands of the digital era and reinforce our position as a leading provider of telecommunications and technology solutions in the Egyptian market." 'We believe that offering real added value to customers through smart partnerships is the optimal way to strengthen our brand. We look forward to continuously developing our services and expanding our offerings to deliver an exceptional digital experience,' he emphasized. 'We're excited about this strategic partnership which gives us a unique opportunity to reach e& Misr's Egyptian customers with Shahid's market-leading streaming entertainment. The Egyptian market remains a strategic area for us, and we look forward to expanding our presence through innovative integration in a wide range of complementary e& telecom and payment services'. Director of Partnerships at Shahid, Scott Weeman said. It is worth noting that e& Egypt has been a pioneer in telecommunications and IT in Egypt since its establishment in 2006. The company has seen significant growth in the Egyptian market, providing a wide range of services to millions of customers. It remains committed to keeping pace with rapid technological advancements to meet the ever-growing needs of its customers. Shahid is the first and leading SVOD and AVOD streaming platform in the Arab world by MBC GROUP, offering premium content to Arab families, including binge worthy exclusive Shahid Originals; Shahid Premieres; Arabic movies fresh off the box-office; live TV channels in true HD quality; as well as international offerings, sports, kids offering, Arabic Adaptations, Turkish titles, more than 40 FAST channels, as well as Shahid Shorts – an exclusive hub for trending reels and short videos.
The National
6 hours ago
- The National
Coach Jacques Benade demands better from UAE after humbling by Hong Kong in Asia Rugby Championship opener
Jacques Benade, the UAE coach, is calling for improvement from his side after they made a false start to the Asia Rugby Championship (ARC) in defeat to Hong Kong. The national team had entered the tournament on a wave of optimism. They finished second last year for the first time in their history. That was the incentive for a vastly improved programme as they prepared for this year's ARC, which carries with it a qualifying place for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. They played two Autumn Test matches, against Zimbabwe and Germany, and preceded this tournament with a tour to Kenya. Hopes were high that they could push for top spot, and a trip to Australia for the World Cup. But Hong Kong are the favourites for qualification for good reason. They have won the past five ARCs. Previous to that, they were runners up four years in a row against Japan, who have since switched from Asian competition to play more fixtures against Tier 1 nations. And Hong Kong showed their class straight from the off, as they outplayed the home side in a 43-10 at The Sevens, Dubai, on Saturday. The difference in quality was laid bare at set pieces. The UAE were penalised at the vast majority of scrums, while the tourists established the lead via two push over tries from line outs. The frustration for the home side was the fact there were positive moments which showed they could compete with their well-drilled visitors. They made an alarmingly nervy start, but Gerard Pieterse, the debutant full-back, snapped them into action with a crunching, try-saving tackle on Alexander Post, the Hong Kong hooker. Brad Janes, the Jebel Ali Dragons flanker who was outstanding on his UAE debut, scored the try his performance deserved. The UAE were within touching distance at that point, at 15-10. When they then botching a golden chance to go into half-time 22-17 behind with an attacking scrum underneath Hong Kong's posts, the game went away from them. 'We are all disappointed,' Benade, the UAE coach, said. 'Looking at the boys in the dressing room, their heads were down, and I don't think we played as well as we could. 'We are better than that. Given how hard we work for everything, that was just not good enough for us. We should be better, and there will be a lot of hard work this week. 'We need to be honest with ourselves, and there are no more excuses. We need to step up as a group and play better rugby next week.' The national team travel to Incheon to face South Korea next Saturday. Their ambitions will likely now be revised down to a runners-up place, which would keep alive their World Cup qualification hopes. The second placed side in the ARC will enter a play-off system which concludes with a week-long tournament in Dubai in November. The winner of that will also make it to the World Cup. The Koreans began their tournament with a thrilling 38-34 win against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Friday. Benade knows a big improvement needs to be made if they are to take points in Incheon, particularly at scrum time. 'They [Hong Kong] were very good up front,' Benade said. 'They will have known from last year we do put an emphasis on our scrums. It was something that didn't work tonight and we have three sessions to fix that. 'We have seen that if you can't get good set-piece ball, you can't play rugby. From the start, we made mistakes. From the kick off, we couldn't get the ball away. 'It was completely different to what we have been practising over the past five weeks, and then you realise the boys are under pressure. 'It is hard work, and we need to get it fixed. We need to get them to believe they can compete against boys like that. 'They are a very good side, but we showed what could happen when you put them under pressure.' Joshua Hrstich, the Hong Kong captain, said his side were satisfied with their opening day win, in which they ran in six tries to one by the UAE. 'We are pretty excited to get out of the desert with maximum [points] and get our campaign off to a good start,' Hrstich said. 'Pressure is a privilege. We are taking this tournament one game at a time. You just have to watch the Korea-Sri Lanka game to see that everyone is dangerous. We are taking no one lightly.'
