The Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) has signed contracts worth $46 million (around Rs 215 crore) for TV rights. Till date, it has realised $34 million (around Rs 160 crore) or 74 per cent of the total contracted value, which is 53 per cent more than what the OC had internally projected at $30 million (Rs 141 crore).
Majority of these rights -- almost 79 per cent -- have come from Australia. Moreover, of the contracts signed worth $37 million (Rs 141 crore) with the country, the OC has realised $28 million (around Rs 130 crore).
“Despite other concurrent sporting options available, these right holders are opting to sponsor the games. In fact, not only TV rights, but we are also getting new media rights for broadcasting on internet and mobile phones,” says T S Darbari, Joint Director General, CWG OC.
The games will be broadcast on a high definition format and a county like Canada, whose rights fee was waived off during the Melbourne games in 2006, too has contracted $15 million (Rs 70 crore) with the OC.
Interestingly, the union cabinet last year included new items considered essential for the successful delivery of the games but were not provided in the initial budget of the OC, namely accreditation, city operations, sponsorship and TV rights, security, sustainability and environment and ticketing. With these items, the OC is supposed to repay the Rs 1,620 crore loan that the government gave it to conduct the games.
| Country | Share in TV rights (in %) |
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Geography-wise, New Zealand’s share in the total media rights stands at eight per cent with the UK following close at 7 per cent. “The US, that has historically not been too active in the games, has already signed contracts worth $15,000 (Rs 7 lakh). The new found interest of many countries has come from the way the games are being promoted this time,” added Darbari.
Though Tanzania too has evinced interest in TV rights, and the agreement is yet to be executed between the OC and Tanzania, Darbari says it is now too late in the day for more countries to come aboard.