The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Saturday awarded Sony Entertainment Television the satellite rights for the high profile India-Pakistan cricket series, paving the way for millions of cricket fans abroad to watch the matches live.

Sony was given the rights for USD 11.5 million (approx Rs 50 crore), Cricket Board President Ranbir Singh Mahendra said in New Delhi, on Saturday.

"I was authorised by the BCCI's Working Committee earlier this week to take the decision on satellite rights. Since Sony was the highest bidder, it was given the rights," Mahendra said.

The decision came a few days after the Working Committee of the BCCI, which had met in New Delhi on March 1, had awarded the production rights to the United Kingdom based Trans World International (TWI).

It had then put on hold a decision on satellite rights giving Mahendra the authority to deal with the issue.

Sony bagged the rights barely three days before the first of the three Tests gets underway in Mohali on March 8.

Pakistan are scheduled to play three Tests and six one-day internationals during their 50-day tour of India -- the first since 1999.

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