Nimbus bags South Africa TV rights

Mumbai: Nimbus Communication Limited is all set to bag rights to broadcast all cricket matches from South Africa in Asia. Nimbus’ rights to telecast games from South Africa is set to start from Australia’s tour scheduled to begin in February 2009.

During the tour Australia are to play three Test matches and five ODIs. An official announcement on Nimbus getting the Asian rights is expected to be made in due course.

For the last one year, Ten Sports had the Asian broadcast rights for all cricket played in South Africa. But a change has been effected in that, following the end of the contract period. Ten’s rights were not renewed and the Cricket South Africa (CSA)’s broadcast partners SuperSport have now licensed the same to Nimbus.

Officially though CSA is not willing to say anything on the sale of rights in Asia. ”I have not heard any such thing. This is news to me,” CSA CEO Gerald Majola told cricketnirvana.com SuperSport CEO Imtiaz Patel was unavailable for a comment, but senior Ten Sports officials claimed that the rights are staying with them.