Nimbus wins $612mn bid for Indian cricket rights

Television production company Nimbus Communications has bagged the global media rights of Indian cricket for the next four years for $612 million (approximately Rs 2,754 crore). The contract includes cable, broadband and direct-to-home (DTH) rights in addition to Internet and radio.

Nimbus' bid was nearly $100 million more than the closest rival Zee
Telefilms, which quoted a composite bid of $513 million.

Other contenders submitted staggered bids. ESPN Software bid for the Indian territory ($401.89 million), Nimbus Sports International Pte for international territories ($126 million), Adlabs for radio rights ($14.8 million) and Reliance Infocomm for broadband rights ($7.8 million).

The agreement will cover 22 Tests and 55 ODIs begining with England's test and one-day series commencing on 1 March, 2006. The deal will expire on 31 March, 2010. During this period India will host six Tests and 14 ODIs against England, four tests and 12 ODIs against Australia, three tests and seven ODIs against Pakistan, three tests and five ODIs against Sri Lanka and five ODIs against South Africa.

The deal also includes the terrestrial rights although the Board of Cricket
Control of India (BCCI), the governing body of Indian cricket, has made it clear that the successful bidder will have to do an independent deal with
Prasar Bharati, which runs Doordarshan.

Nimbus, the marketing agency, will now resell the rights. Experts said
broadcasters, which failed to win the bidding process, might end up buying some rights from Nimbus. Nimbus will finalise the buyers on February 20.

Nimbus had won the television production rights last week. BCCI recently
reduced the floor price of the tender from $450 million to $425 million.