 "BCCI media rights auction on August 31: Disney Star, Sony and Jio in fray")
The auction for media rights of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is scheduled to take place on August 31. Three companies, Disney Star, Sony Sports and Viacom18's Jio, are expected to lock horns for the rights, according to a report by Cricbuzz. Zee, FanCode, Google and Amazon did not submit their technical bids for the event.
Earlier this month, the BCCI had released the e-auction tender to sell rights for all formats of international cricket India will play at home in the next five years, between September 2023 and March 2028.
This year, the BCCI has decided to sell digital and TV rights separately. The collective base price for TV and digital has been pegged at Rs 45 crore per match.
However, a report by Hindustan Times (HT) stated that the BCCI is expecting a minimum of Rs 60 crore per match from the media rights auction. It has the right to cancel the process if bidding falls below that. This is what Disney Star paid for the media rights in the 2012-18 cycle.
The reserve price for digital is higher at Rs 25 crore per match, while it is Rs 20 crore per match for TV. In both IPL and ICC media rights auctions, digital valuation went marginally over TV.
According to the Cricbuzz report, Zee's absence from the bidding may be due to its partnership and approved merger with Sony. The collaboration will not be a surprise, given that their merger is expected to be finalised on October 1.
Before August 31, BCCI will evaluate the technical bids submitted by Disney Star, Sony Sports and Viacom18. If they meet the criteria outlined in the invitation to tender (ITT), they will be allowed to participate in the auction.
More From This Section
However, in this case, the evaluation will be a mere formality as Disney Star and Viacom18 are already media partners with the BCCI by holding IPL rights. Sony Sports had also earlier participated in the bidding for the IPL.
This year, BCCI will offer 88 matches: 25 Tests, 27 ODIs, and 36 T20Is in the current cycle. It is 14 matches fewer than 102 matches in the last cycle.
When will the BCCI media rights e-auction take place?
The BCCI media rights auction will take place on August 31. This year, the BCCI will conduct the auction online. Moreover, the digital and TV rights will be sold separately.
How many companies are in the fray for BCCI media rights for domestic and international home matches?
According to media reports, three companies, namely Sony Sports, Disney Star and Viacom18, will bid for the media rights of the matches for the next five years. Zee, FanCode, Google and Amazon have reportedly not submitted the technical bids for the auction.