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Tag: BCCI

  • ICC enlists Prabhakaran Thanraj as VP-commercial & operations

    ICC enlists Prabhakaran Thanraj as VP-commercial & operations

    MUMBAI: Prabhakaran Thanraj has reasons to be pleased. He’s just been appointed as the  vice-president – commercial & operations at the apex global cricket administrative  body – The International Cricket Council based in Dubai. For three years he was at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), first as head of events & commercial, then being promoted as general manager – events and commercial in 2024..

    At the ACC, along with the team, he helped monetise the Women’s Asia Cup, a 70 per cent higher value from Sony Pictures Networks India for the ACC  media rights for the 2024-2031 cycle.

    Prabha, as he is called by colleagues, began his career as a signage and branding coordinator at IMG Reliance for the Aircel Chennai Open from 2009-2012. It was onto the desk as a graphic designer for around two years with Cognizant Technology and hew switched to IMG Reliance as a graphic designer for a year. It was here that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) spotted him and hired him as sponsorship manager for the Champions League 2013 and 2014. IMG  Reliance once again lured him away as assistant sponsorship manager and he stayed put there for almost four years.

    And then came the shift to the ACC which was a huge leap for Prabha. But he has proved himself. Today, he has a track record driving revenue through strategic partnerships, managing high-impact events, and leading successful marketing campaigns. And he is known for guiding teams, maximising brand impact, and advancing the sport’s reach on an international scale.

    The ICC congratulated him and wishes him all the best for his innings with them. We, at indiantelevision.com,  are sure Prabha will negotiate the googlies  as well as the short-pitched deliveries well. And even pull some of them over mid-wicket for a six.

  • Jay Shah begins tenure as ICC chair

    Jay Shah begins tenure as ICC chair

    MUMBAI: Former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) honorary secretary Jay Shah began his tenure as chair of the International Cricket Conference on 1 December.  

    Said Shah in a press release issued by ICC: “I am honoured to be starting in the role of ICC chair and want to thank the ICC directors and member boards for their support and trust in me to undertake this important role.

    “This is an exciting time for the sport as we build up to the LA28 Olympic Games and strive to make cricket more inclusive and popular than ever before. We also stand at a critical juncture in terms of the coexistence of multiple formats and accelerating the growth of the women’s game. There is huge potential for the game of cricket globally, with so much opportunity to engage with existing and new fans, while ensuring the best resources and platforms for our cricketers around the world.

    “I would also like to thank Greg Barclay for his leadership in the role for the past four years and the milestones achieved during that period. I look forward to working closely with the ICC team and the member countries to sustainably expand the game’s reach and evolution on the global stage.”

    Shah like the cricketers – who his organization governs – who  notch up records match after match has  got quite a few records under his hat himself.

    One of the youngest members of the Gujarat Cricket Association. The youngest ever honorary secretary of the BCCI. ). And  in August 2024  the 36 year old Jay Shah added  another feather to his hat: the youngest ever chairperson of the International Cricket Conference.  Shah was unanimously elected as the ICC chair – as he was the sole nominee –  succeeding New Zealand’s Greg Barclay, who was in the role from November 2020. 

    Shah has built his reputation as a great administrator. While at the BCCI, he helped take Indian cricket to newer heights with key accomplishments such as record-breaking IPL media rights deal, creation of the Women’s Premier League, creation of new state-of-the-art centre of excellence, test cricket incentive scheme and more. He has also played important roles in world cricket as the president of the Asian Cricket Council and as chair of the ICC’s finance and commercial affairs committee.

     

    Picture: ICC website

  • Piracy, LaLiga, BCCI and the Indian government

    Piracy, LaLiga, BCCI and the Indian government

    MUMBAI: LaLiga president Javier Tebas said he is prepared to collaborate with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to stamp out piracy of sports broadcast and streaming signals  in Europe and all over the world.  Speaking at sports and tech conference  Sportel Monaco 2024 on 29 October during a keynote address he addressed his pet subject for the past few years once again: piracy and how big tech is aiding in its spread.

    He pointed that  piracy – especially illegal internet streaming  – is causing huge losses to sports federations, broadcasters, and advertisers with the LaLiga alone losing around Euros 700 million each season.

    His belief is that big tech companies like Google, Cloudflare, X, are actually benefiting from piracy. (He has raised his voice against Google in the past on several forums but he expanded the responsibility towards X and Cloudflare in his latest address during Sportel Monaco.)

    He explained that Google is making money through searches online and on android phones through its ads that pop up during searches for pirated sites by viewers. Downloads of illegitimate apps  on its Playstore give it oodles of money. It has no mechanism – either reactive or otherwise – to tackle piracy.

    Cloudflare is profiting by providing reverse proxy services to pirates and more than 50 per cent of rogue sites are behind it. What’s alarming according to  him is that 70 per cent of delisted content by Google is behind a Cloudflare IP.

    X, he highlighted, is monetising through advertising on pirated streams and has been delaying enforcement by not providing automatic content detection. It does not have a content moderation team, neither is it blocking illegal content on its platform.

    He appealed to sports federations to come together  and raise their voices against big tech. In this regard he extended his hand towards the BCCI welcoming it to come and be a part of the anti-piracy campaign.

    “After football, cricket has a large fan base globally and revenue leakages through piracy could be reduced by making the tech companies  culpable,” he said. “The federations, accompanied by the broadcasters, need to lobby with governments to put in place the proper legislation.”

    Tebas requested governments world over  to pass legislation that would force big tech companies to clamp down on piracy. For the “how of doing it,”  he said, they can turn to Argentina where a federal court ordered Google to block the download and use of a pirate platform Magis TV.  Prior to this, Google had cited its inability to block the android application from being downloaded, but then it was forced to.

    “We need hard measures to be put in place.If we have to stand a chance of reducing the menace of piracy, ” said Tebas in closing. 

  • Sahil Chopra promoted as associate VP at Viacom18 Media

    Sahil Chopra promoted as associate VP at Viacom18 Media

    Mumbai: Sahil Chopra has been promoted as associate VP at Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. He announced the news via Linkdin post stating, “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Associate Vice President at Viacom18 Media Private Limited!”

    Previously, he was associated with JioCinema as senior director – Brand & Sports Marketing, where he was the creative strategy lead for sports portfolio – TATA IPL, BCCI domestic series, Olympics, WPL etc.

    Chopra is a marketing specialist with 11+ years of experience in content marketing across Media platforms. Skilled in creating value for businesses via brands. Trained in Digital Marketing and Social media marketing from the Indian School of business (ISB), Hyderabad and PGDM in Brand Management from MICA.

  • Star Sports redefines IPL viewing with Indian Sign Language

    Star Sports redefines IPL viewing with Indian Sign Language

    Mumbai: Star Sports, the official broadcaster of TATA IPL 2024, in association with India Signing Hands (ISH News), and support from the BCCI, is set to revolutionise the cricket viewing experience for the marquee tournament with the introduction of a new Indian sign language feed with descriptive commentary. For the first time, the TATA IPL will be customised for deaf, hard-of-hearing and visually impaired fans. The feed enables fans to fully immerse themselves in the excitement of the game along with their friends and family.

    The feed will provide ball-by-ball updates using Indian sign language in consultation with specialists who are being brought on board by India Signing Hands. What makes it even more special is its ability to engage with visually impaired fans with commentators describing every moment of the game along with regular verbal score updates. This feed is truly inclusive which allows the joy of community viewing by breaking barriers that simplify the broadcast without compromising on viewing experience for all.

    Video message by Virendra Singh, Captain of the Deaf Cricket Team:

     

     

    Disney Star head – sports Sanjog Gupta said “Star Sports has always believed in widening access for Cricket and taking it to newer cohorts of fans. Our pioneering foray into regional coverage has reached an unparalleled scale and has defined the modern Cricket broadcast. With this initiative, we seek to address fans who’ve been deprived of the complete Cricket experience. The ‘language’ of commentary takes a new leap in inclusivity with the introduction of Indian Sign Language on Tata IPL 2024 for fans with impaired hearing and descriptive commentary for fans with sight impairment.”

    India Signing Hands founder and CEO Alok Kejriwal which has been awarded the National Award 2023 for empowerment of people with disabilities, said, “This feed will allow millions of differently-abled people like me to experience the thrill and excitement of IPL for the very first time in a language that we understand. I was born Deaf, and I always enjoyed watching cricket with my family while growing up. But the experience just wasn’t the same for me as it was for them, since I could not hear the commentary and so, I would miss a lot of nuances. I thank Star Sports for pioneering this initiative at this scale, and I am certain that this collaboration will inspire millions of differently abled people to take interest in sports, while paving the way for a more inclusive and accessible ecosystem.”

    The initiative underscores Star Sports’ commitment to make the sport more inclusive and foster a sense of belonging among all cricket enthusiasts.

    Watch the new Indian Sign Language feed for Tata IPL 2024 on Star Sports 3 starting 22 March 2024.

  • BCCI reveals India vs Australia World Cup final details in Ahmedabad!

    BCCI reveals India vs Australia World Cup final details in Ahmedabad!

    Mumbai: BCCI has released a full list of events and celebrities that will grace the final between India and Australia in the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium on 19 November. Prime minister Narendra Modi’s presence during the final, a grand air show by the Indian Air Force, two former World Cup-winning captains Kapil Dev and Mahendra Singh Dhoni watching from the stands with a bevy of who’s who from the world of entertainment and politics in attendance, the grandeur will be unmatched.

    The Suryakiran Indian Air Force airshow will take place after the toss at 1:30 pm IST. It is likely to be a 15-20 minute show. The preparations for the same were done with a successful demo on Thursday. During the first innings drinks break Coke Studio’s Gujarati singing sensation Aditya Gadhavi of ‘Gotilo’ fame will perform.

    The event would get grander during the innings break. Bollywood music composer Pritam, singers Jonita Gandhi, Nakash Aziz, Akasa Joshi, Tushar Joshi and Amit Mishra will entertain a 1.3 lakh crowd. 500 dancers from Mumbai are expected to gyrate to popular Bollywood numbers.

    Possibly for the visiting Australian team and also for the greater TV audience across the globe, it would be a taste of India’s soft power with cricket being a tool.

  • RCB announces flagship sports conference in partnership with leaders in Sport

    RCB announces flagship sports conference in partnership with leaders in Sport

    Mumbai: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) with its innovation arm—RCB Innovation Lab, has partnered with Leaders in Sport, the premier global sports events and media organisation, to bring the first-ever Leaders Meet to India, scheduled in Bengaluru on 29 and 30 November.

    RCB Innovation Lab is a groundbreaking intersection between sports and business, that aims to generate insights, ideas, methodologies, and products in order to shape the future of sports. Leaders Meet: India aligns seamlessly with RCB Innovation Lab’s mission to further grow sports ecosystem.

    The first-of-its-kind summit is set to host a stellar line-up of global sporting leaders who will collectively delve into the convergence of sports, business, technology, and social impact. They will address critical themes and share insights on multi-faceted topics that are not only shaping the sports industry but are also poised to drive the expansion of India’s future sports market.

    The event will mark a historic occasion and witness insightful discussions in the presence of prominent figures from the sports world such as BCCI honorary secretary Jay Shah, Will Brass (chief commercial officer of the English Premier League), Ellie Norman (chief communications officer of Manchester United), and Charlotte Burr (director of strategy, corporate development & digital, FIFA). Notably, the summit will also feature the Indian badminton legend Pullela Gopichand, Brendon McCullum (former New Zealand skipper and current head coach of England’s Test team), and Olympic Gold Medal winner and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, Italian International Football icon & World Cup winner 2006 Alessandro Del Piero, G20 Sherpa – India & Ex – CEO of Niti Aayog, Government of India Amitabh Kant among many other notable dignitaries.

    Commenting on RCB Innovation Lab bringing leaders meet to India for the first time, Royal Challengers Bangalore vice president & head Rajesh V Menon said, “Growth requires a catalyst; we want to create the perfect conditions for sport and business to thrive – sowing seeds of change through new connections, relationships, opportunities, ideas, and perspectives. We want to make it happen faster by creating optimal conditions – bringing together the very best in the sports industry, both on and off the field. We want to accelerate the process by connecting members of the business & sporting community to the best conversations, the best connections, the best insights, the best solutions, and the best opportunities. I am confident that this confluence of industry stalwarts will help bring out valuable insights and build & engage stakeholders contributing to India in the journey of creating more participants in sports than just spectators”.”

    Leaders in Sport has been in existence for 15 years and has served as a catalyst for bringing together the most prominent figures and groundbreaking ideas in the world of sports. With past editions hosted in key cities like New York, Abu Dhabi, London, Los Angeles, Beijing, and Shanghai, Leaders in Sport has been instrumental in facilitating dialogues and propelling the sports industry towards progress. It continues to lead the way in providing the latest sports business intelligence and delivering exclusive perspectives from global industry leaders at the forefront.

    Sport managing director and leader Laura McQueen said “We stand on the verge of an exciting new chapter in the world of sports. Leaders Meet is not just an event; it’s a convergence of some of the world’s most influential leaders and a platform to usher in a new era for the sports industry in India and Southeast Asia. At the summit, we will witness catalytic discussions, innovative ideas, and a global perspective on how to shape the future of sports.

    We are thrilled to partner with RCB to host this event in India for the first time, and it serves as a testament to our shared vision of unlocking India’s potential as a thriving hub for sports and all verticals in sports, related to business, technology, and social impact. The summit promises to bridge the gap between opportunity and execution, propelling India to the forefront of the global sports landscape.”

    Leaders Meet: India will also see the participation of distinguished government administrators including Amitabh Kant, who served as the G20 Sherpa and previously held the role of CEO at Niti Aayog, and R Vineel Krishna, an IAS officer and Special Secretary to Odisha CM & Secretary of Sports and Youth Services in the Odisha Government. These esteemed individuals will engage in discussions and brainstorming sessions covering innovations in sports technology, business, performance, and social impact during the two-day conference.

    Below is the detailed list of speakers with their theme of the talk:

    1.   Jay Shah: Honorary secretary, BCCI; president, ACC; Chair F&CA Committee, ICC

    Topic: How the BCCI built the IPL, launched the WPL and what it tells us about the future of cricket and the trajectory of Indian sport

    2.   Amitabh Kant: G20 Sherpa – India & ex-CEO of Niti Aayog, Government of India

    Topic: The Indian growth story, the socio-economic opportunities, and the role for sport

    3.   Alessandro Del Piero: Italian International Football icon & World Cup winner 2006

    Excerpts of one of the most picture-perfect careers, multiple series A league titles, World Cup winner, champions league winner. Reflections of an iconic career and the current changing landscape of football and with emerging markets what is the future trend of football, will Europe still be the premier club football destination in the near future.

    4.   Dr. R. Vineel Krishna, IAS: Special Secretary to Odisha CM & Secretary – Sports and Youth Services, Odisha Government
    Topic: How states can drive sports promotion and development – the Odisha model and the future of public-private partnerships

    5.   Brendon McCullum: Head Coach, England Test Cricket Team
    Topic: Leading transformative change in team environments – what’s gone into Bazball?

    6.   Neeraj Chopra: Indian Olympic Gold Medallist and World Champion – Javelin
    Topic: The journey, reflections and path ahead to create more world champions in India.

    7.   Abhinav Bindra: Indian Olympic Gold Medallist and 5-time Olympian, Shooting
    Topic: The future of the Olympic movement and Olympism in India

    8.   Pullela Gopichand: All England Badminton Champion and iconic badminton coach
    Topic: From also-rans to Champions – reflections on the growth of India as a badminton powerhouse.

    9.   Charlotte Burr: Director of Strategy, Corporate Development & Digital, FIFA
    Topic: The importance of India to football and the importance of football to India

    10.   Will Brass: Chief Commercial Officer, Premier League
    Topic: An insider’s account of the business affairs of the #1 football league in the world and its plans in a high-growth market like India.

    11.   Ellie Norman: Chief Marketing Officer, Manchester United
    Topic: Managing a global fan base and an iconic brand through the ups and downs of sport through strategic marketing, partnerships, content and fan engagement

    12.   Scott Munn: Chief Football Officer, Tottenham Hotspur
    Topic: How to harness and internationalise the power of a legacy fan base in the Indian subcontinent.

    13.   Mohammad Bobat: Director of Cricket Operations, RCB. Ex-Performance Director: England Men’s Cricket team.
    Topic: Managing high-performance environments and translating potential to winning performances in a team filled with star players.

    14.   Harsh Jain: Co-Founder and CEO, Dream Sports
    Topic: Helming the largest fantasy sports platform in the world and reflections on engaging 200m+ users.

    15.   Nic Coward: World Renowned Sports Advisor and Ex-Gen. Secretary of the Premier League, Ex-CEO of FA, Ex-Consultant FIFA
    Topic: From market entry to consolidation – how foreign brands and investors can look at opportunities in the Indian sports market

    16.   Max Hamilton: Global Commercial Director, European Tour, Golf. 
    Topic: The journey of building and curating a premium brand identity for a sport and its properties.

    17.   Rufus Hack: CEO, Hawk-Eye Innovations
    Topic: How technology builds trust in sports adjudication

    18.   Shikha Tandon: Former Indian Olympic Swimmer and chief partnerships officer, Svexa
    Topic: How human performance intelligence, physiology, health data science, tech & molecular profiling translate into practical peak sports performance.

    19.   Gareth Balch: Co-Founder and CEO, Two Circles
    Topic: Trajectories and trends in the global sports rights market – from acquisition to measurement

    20.   Anil Jayaraj: CEO, Viacom 18 Sports. 
    Topic: Delivering one of the largest sports leagues in the world from rights acquisition planning to advertising to operational execution to broadcast/innovations.

    21.   Abhijit Bhattacharya: Founder, Brahmaputra Volleyball League, former captain of the Indian volleyball team
    Topic: Learnings from building a community sports league

    22.   Nitish Chiniwar: Founder and CEO, Bridges of Sports Foundation
    Topic: Making the community a stakeholder in the sporting journeys of athletes

    23.   Rohini Mukherjee, Head – Global Partnerships & Strategy, Naandi Foundation
    Topic: Empowering India’s adolescent girls through sport – The Toofan Games.

  • ManoramaOnline presents SUPER WOMEN’S CUP: Empowering women cricketers

    ManoramaOnline presents SUPER WOMEN’S CUP: Empowering women cricketers

    Mumbai: In an effort to empower female cricketers and raise the stature of women’s cricket in the state, ManoramaOnline, the news portal in Malayalam, proudly hosted the ManoramaOnline Super Women’s Cup in association with Chungath Jewelry & Chaver Movie. The tournament was held on August 25 and 26 at the Paris Sports Center (PSC) in Ernakulam.

    Amid the ODI Cricket World Cup fever gripping the nation, the event witnessed tremendous enthusiasm and participation from both players and spectators, making it a grand success. The primary objective of the tournament was to support women cricketers.

    The journey to the championship was marked by intense competition and sportsmanship. Social, digital and print media were effectively utilised to invite entries from women’s cricket teams. Eight formidable teams advanced to the knockout stage. They were: Brawlers Cricket Club, Wisden Cricket Club, Lenkara Jewelry Design Institute, Marthoma College, Scoreline Cricket Club, St. Paul’s College, St. Teresa’s College and UC College.

    After fierce battles, four teams — Lenkara Jewelry Design Institute, UC College, Marthoma College and Wisden Cricket Club — entered the semifinals.

    After an exciting semis, Widen and UC College advanced to the final match.  

    In a thrilling title clash, Wisden Cricket Club emerged victorious, clinching the ManoramaOnline Super Women’s CUP, defeating an exceptionally skilled UC College.

    To add to the excitement, a friendly match was played between the champions Wisden Cricket Club, and the lead actors of the upcoming Malayalam movie “Chaver,” featuring iconic stars such as Kunchako Boban, Antony Pepe, Arun Nair, Tinu Papappacha and their crew.

    The tournament, spanning over two action-packed days, was played in front of a packed audience at the Paris Cricket Turf in Ernakulam. The winners received a cash prize of Rs 25,000, while the runners-up were awarded Rs 15,000 at the prize distribution ceremony attended by Shri Hibi Eden, honourable MP of Ernakulam & Thrikkakara MLA Uma Thomas. Excited by the overwhelming cricket atmosphere, guests also tried their hand at batting and balling along with the movie crew ahead of the ceremony.  

    In a heartwarming gesture, participants and celebrities who were part of the tournament signed a cricket bat, extending their best wishes to the Indian Men’s Cricket team for their upcoming ICC Men’s ODI World Cup campaign. The signed bat will be presented to the Indian cricket team and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) through the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA).

    Kunchako Boban, Malayalam superstar and the lead actor of “Chaver,” expressed his excitement at being part of the tournament and commended the women cricketers for their outstanding performance. Antony Varghese, popularly known as Antony Pepe, praised the women cricketers and encouraged them to dream of following in the footsteps of Minnu Mani, the only player from Kerala to be picked in the inaugural Women’s Premier League auction and to elevate their game to the international level, representing the country.

    The ManoramaOnline team successfully revitalized the campus connect, especially among women-centric colleges in the state, through this campaign. The overwhelming response and enthusiasm of the participating teams have prompted ManoramaOnline to announce this event as an annual tournament.

    ManoramaOnline Sports, Women, and Movie digital channels collaborated seamlessly to host the tournament, resulting in a high level of excitement among the audience and increased session durations during the live updates.
     

  • Viacom18 secures exclusive media rights for BCCI international and domestic matches

    Viacom18 secures exclusive media rights for BCCI international and domestic matches

    Mumbai: Viacom18 secured exclusive media rights for the BCCI international and domestic matches for September 2023-March 2028. The network won both the Indian sub-continent and global television and digital rights for the next five years for a cumulative figure of Rs 5,963 crore. The rights were secured through the BCCI’s Invitation to Tender E-Auction process held on 31 August.

    “We are elated about winning the exclusive media rights to BCCI international and domestic matches, and excited at the opportunity to serve fans the best of India cricket across both digital and TV,” said Viacom18 Sports CEO Anil Jayaraj. “We would also like to thank the BCCI for conducting a transparent and efficient e-auction process.”

    “Live sports consumption in India has sharply pivoted towards digital, and winning the global digital rights will help us further fuel this ascendancy,” Jayaraj added. “Additionally, winning the broadcast rights is an extension of our strategy as we will continue to serve quality and affordable content to all viewers as they continue to migrate from linear TV to digital screens. The landmark rights, therefore, come with a great responsibility of enhancing viewers’ experience of Indian cricket like never before.”

    The addition of BCCI international and domestic cricket includes International Men’s, Women’s matches, and domestic first-class competitions like the Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, Deodhar Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, among others and makes Viacom18 the leading sports network in the country. The network’s portfolio includes global sports properties like TATA IPL, TATA WPL, Olympics 2024, SA20, Major League Cricket (MLC), Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), NBA, Diamond League, World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023, MotoGP, LALIGA, Ligue1, Serie A, BGIS (E-Sports), Abu Dhabi T10, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and top BWF events.

    Viewers can continue to watch their preferred sports by downloading JioCinema (iOS & Android). For the latest updates, news, scores, and videos, fans can follow Sports18 on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

  • BCCI bilateral rights – Hefty premium on a low base; marginally below our estimates

    BCCI bilateral rights – Hefty premium on a low base; marginally below our estimates

    Mumbai: BCCI bilateral rights for 88 matches have been sold of INR 59.6 bn (8 per cent below our estimated range of INR 65bn-INR 75bn, link – https://tinyurl.com/2u8v8xrm) which is 13 per cent higher on a per match basis vs the earlier cycle (43 per cent lower vs IPL on a per match basis).

    * Whilst comparing this with IPL, premiums vs base price for TV/digital in IPL per match were at 17 per cent /72 per cent on an already high base price, whereas in the case of these bilateral matches, premiums vs base price for TV/digital per match basis is 63 per cent /41 per cent vs base price (base price was set much lower than earlier cycle’s final price per match). In our view, TV premium compared to base price could been higher than digital, due to Viacom 18 bidding aggressively for her same as one platform having both (TV and digital rights) lead to better advantage on bundling and higher negotiating leverage with advertisers  

    * Overall premiums (vs earlier cycle) for these rights been much lower vs IPL due to 1) lower number of T20 matches, 2) less interest in bilateral matches with a large tournament like IPL garnering interest on home grounds already, 3) lesser number of platforms bidding for the same and 4) a poor ad environment over the last one year; IPL had attracted a premium of 117 per cent on a per match basis vs it’s last cycle price, whereas these rights have come at a premium of mere 13 per cent on a per match basis  vs it’s last cycle’s price.

    Further, in this case, the cost of per match on digital has surpassed cost of per match on TV , as digital is 8% higher on a per match basis; in the case of IPL – TV and digital were largely on par on a per match basis

    Earlier cycle of the bilateral rights was not unbundled hence there isn’t a comparison on TV/digital rights basis per match  

    We believe that a single entity securing both TV and digital rights is mutually advantageous, as it enhances the negotiating leverage of the platform. This allows them to offer bundled options to advertisers. In contrast, when two separate players acquire TV and digital rights, it fuels competitive rivalry between platforms, resulting in a dampening effect on overall revenues (IPL revenues were down YoY in CY23); we believe bundling prevents advertisers holding a stronger bargaining position as compared to the platforms.

    Acquisition of BCCI bilateral rights will also enable Jio cinema to become even bigger in the Indian OTT ecosystem; the platform has an AVOD market share of ~22-24% already in CY23, after factoring IPL revenue and other content; revenues can scale up further due to these bilateral rights; this in turn will intensify competition in the OTT segment and work negatively for other broadcast-based OTT players like Sony, Zee, Disney+Hotstar. It will also continue to negatively impact SVOD revenue growth for Indian OTT, as Jio Cinema may continue to offer content free  

    On the TV side, this is Viacom’s first large scale cricket acquisition, as IPL and WC rights on cricket for TV are with Star/Zee respectively.

    The credit of this article goes to Elara Capital SVP Karan Taurani