Sky Sports sells Cricket World Cup broadcast rights

Sky Sports has signed Marston’s, the UK’s largest ale producer, as broadcast sponsor of its live coverage of the Cricket World Cup.

The year-long deal – worth about £2m and brokered by Manning Gottlieb OMD – includes sponsorship credits and break bumpers on Cup coverage, extensive online branding on World Cup sections of skysports.com and logos on the channel’s World Cup promotions.

Peter Jackson, marketing director at the Burton Upon Trent-based brewer, says: “This is a logical extension of our support of cricket and its fans, which includes being the official beer of the England cricket team and sponsorship of eight county clubs and four Test match grounds.”

The company, which brews ales including Marston’s Pedigree and Marston’s Smooth as well as owning 2,500 pubs across England and Wales, recently signed a three-year deal, brokered by Frontiers Group UK, to be the official beer supplier at English Test match grounds.

The Cricket World Cup tournament begins in the Caribbean next week and every match will be screened exclusively on Sky Sports. The channel will also screen simultaneous games via its interactive service