It's all about the Benjamins: ICC rights sold for $1.1 billion

From CricInfo...

The ICC's television rights for 2007-2015 have been sold to ESPN-Star, a joint venture between ESPN and the Rupert Murdoch-owned Star network, reportedly for a staggering "$1.1 billion", double the previous amount for the same period of time.

Included in the eight-year period under discussion are 18 ICC tournaments with two ICC Cricket World Cups, in Asia (2011) and Australasia (2015), and a minimum of three ICC Champions Trophy tournaments. Also included are the first two ICC Twenty20 World Championships, in South Africa (2007) and England (2009), the latter taking place in the ICC's centenary year.

"We are absolutely delighted that, after an open and transparent process, we have what we believe to be the best deal for cricket," Percy Sonn, the ICC president, said immediately after decision was announced.

"However, the Board was unanimous in the view that the ESPN STAR Sports bid was the best, and we believe all of our 97 Members will gain significant benefit from an agreement with ESPN STAR Sports.

No doubt about it...Commercialization of this beautiful sport is expanding in leaps and bounds. Though from the wording, it implies that there will be 3 more Champions Trophy's during that time period.

97 member nations? What the hell is he talking about?