At Rediff, and India Abroad, we have for a while now been fielding mails enquiring about details of the World Cup telecast in the USA.
The bad news first -- it will not be live on the Internet.
It will be live on television via Dish Network.
A trademark of EchoStar Communications Corporation, Dish Network is a leading direct broadcasting satellite television provider in the United States. Michael Kelly, senior vice president of Dish Network and founder of Kelly Broadcasting Systems, says the company's business ethic is providing quality entertainment at competitive prices.
The company, he says, strives to offer value and variety to their customers, and cricket is increasingly attracting attention from people who do not hail from cricket playing nations. "This shows how strong our commitment to our customers is," he said.
That is also the main reason why the tournament will not be shown live on the internet. Kelly says he is not satisfied with the quality of video streaming on the net, and thus has opted to not sell the net rights for the telecast, which he holds.
This news will undoubtedly come as a disappointment to many -- especially those who cannot have a dish installed in their homes. Plus, the Dish Networks transmission will not reach some of the smaller centers in the country.
If you fall into this category, the only solution is to watch the games at a cinema or theatre near you. Dish Network has still not finalized the locations of the theatres where the games will be show live, but will post the information on its website once it is nailed down.
The World Cup television package is being priced at $299.95, and all 54 games will be shown. The ICC transmission will also include highlights of some of the games, if not all. The channel can be contacted at 1-800-333-Dish.