India-West Indies cricket telecast deal in limbo

Nimbus Sports and Prasar Bharathi, the umbrella corporation for Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio, have been unable to finalise a deal for sharing the telecast of the one-day cricket series between India and West Indies. The four-match series starts this Sunday.

Sources say Nimbus wants to market both the feeds "" the one on its own channel Neo Sports and the mandatory feed on DD. The latter wants to sell advertisement slots for its own channel.

Saying negotiations are expected at the eleventh hour, a DD official explained: "In the past, before any series, DD and the satellite broadcaster sit at the table with closed bids. The party that bids the higher amount for raising money from the series gets the right to market the series on DD. This time, Nimbus wants us to openly say how much we can raise, so that it can quote a higher one."

Out of the 65 million cable and satellite homes, Neo Sports reaches only 10 million. Neo Sports is trying to reach a deal with DD for eight matches, four against West Indies and for another four when Sri Lanka arrive in India.

Should the talks prove inconclusive, the government has the right to issue an ordinance to force Neo to share the feed with DD, following a Cabinet approval.

According to the down-linking guidelines, the rights holder is entitled to 75 per cent of the advertising revenue raised on DD.

Initially, Neo had offered DD a feed that would be deferred by 15 minutes. DD's chief executive officer had personally rejected this offer.

Neo also wanted DD to telecast the match on DD Direct Plus, the broadcaster's direct to home platform. This too was refused.