Broadcasters Sony Pictures Networks and Star India will fight it out for bagging the telecast rights of Indian Premiere League 2018 even when Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) is eyeing to initiate media right sales.
The existing broadcaster, Sony Pictures Networks made it clear that they would do whatever required to gain back the rights. On the other hand Star India only lacks this huge cash-rich tournament as a part of their rights in cricket and would also give a tough fight to the other bidders. BCCI will start the bidding process in 2018 as Sony Pictures Networks rights end by 2017.
Sony bought the rights of IPL back in its earlier days for $1.1 billion!
The Process
A bidder can either submit a consolidated global bid, or a breakdown bid of the sum in parts, or both. The bidder will have Sub-continent TV rights, India digital rights and rest of world media rights till 2022. Both breakdown and consolidated bids will be good for BCCI revenue maximization.
BCCI President Anurag Thakur feels that this time IPL will witness a handsome and multifold bid from the interested bidders fighting for the rights. If rumors are to be believed then Discovery Networks will soon open a sports channel in India and thus they might also look forward to fetching in the rights for the biggest Indian League.
#IPL@BCCI on e-auction: #Cricket is not coal
➡️https://t.co/hLk0PZklrx pic.twitter.com/GElwCehn9r
— TOI Sports (@toisports) July 29, 2017
Some feel it’s stupidity for BCCI to keep an option for breakdown bid. But this must be a clever clause attached to the bidding. Star India will definitely look for getting the whole rights for broadcasting it in worldwide and also through its digital media platform Hotstar. Sony will do anything even to just capture the Indian broadcasting or rather Sub-continent broadcast rights. The huge monster that IPL is, Star with the likings of having rights of all international cricket matches and with ICC’s collaboration have a step ahead in taming the whole beast. Sony would be lucky enough even to just take half of the beast and make a market in India.
Who Said What?
NP Singh, CEO of Sony Pictures Networks, said
“Over the last nine years, we have extensively promoted IPL, not only on television but across other mediums like print, outdoor and digital. Our marketing campaigns have become cultural mnemonics in household conversations”
Discovery Networks Sports Media Consultant said,
“What could be a better platform to make a sports channel successful than IPL? Discovery should be thinking on these lines under the new leadership”
Varun Gupta, managing director of advisory services firm American Appraisal, said,
“There is nothing to match IPL in the Indian sporting arena and interest in it has remained sustained over the years”
No matter whoever applies to bid for the IPL but no doubt Star India and Sony Pictures Networks will have the greatest war and the ultimate showdown!
