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Tag: ICC

  • ICC chief lambasts Zee TV’s racism allegations on cricket rights

    ICC chief lambasts Zee TV’s racism allegations on cricket rights

    The International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive David Richards has labelled Zee TV’s allegations that the council was racist in its decision awarding telecast rights to its tournaments to the World Sports Group/News Corp consortoium as “ridiculous.”

    In an interview to air on ESPN’s Inside Cricket Richards has said that the racism allegation can be shown to be demonstrably untrue. “The ICC is made up of people from all over the world of cricket, from many different cultures, from many different backgrounds, but all with a common love for cricket,” he is believed to have said during the interview. “And there are constituencies within that grouping of member nations from all over the world. It’s just too easy and trite to say that this group did this or that group did something else. The decision taken by the group was, I say, on commercial grounds and it was in the best interests of the long term development of international cricket in all parts of the world.”

    Richards also pointed out that there was no indication of any rebel tour being started by Asian member nations of the ICC. “They are all responsible organisations and all are key members of the ICC. So if there were any suggestions of breakaway cricket teams or tours that would not be done through the official boards.”

  • DirecTV inks deal with GCC for ICC Champions Trophy 2006 and World Cup 2007

    DirecTV inks deal with GCC for ICC Champions Trophy 2006 and World Cup 2007

    MUMBAI: Cricket fever will soon grip the US! The direct-broadcast satellite provider DirecTV has reached an agreement with Global Cricket Corporation (GCC) to broadcast two International Cricket Council (ICC) events — the ICC Champions Trophy, to be held in India in October 2006 and the ICC Cricket World Cup, to be played in the West Indies in March 2007.

    Television rights to the two ICC events have been acquired by DirecTV on a non-exclusive basis. DirecTV’s acquisition of international cricket rights has been part of an effort to expand its programming services for the diverse ethnic population within the United States.

    “These are the most prestigious cricket events in the world, and we are proud to offer them to DirecTV customers for the first time ever,” said DirecTV Inc VP International Aaron McNally.

    “With these ICC events and with exclusive rights to six of the ten test-playing ICC members as part of our CricketTicket package, we are cementing our position as the leading distributor of televised cricket content in the United States.”

    News Corp owns approximately 36 per cent in DirecTV. The pricing and packaging for the two events will be announced at a later date, according to an official release.
    “Our agreement with DirecTV is great news for cricket in the United States of America and for the ICC,” said ICC president Ehsan Mani.

    “DirecTV’s coverage means people who might not ordinarily be exposed to cricket will get the chance to watch it. And we hope the opportunity to see the world’s best players in the world’s best tournament, the ICC Cricket World Cup, will lead to a significant increase in the number of people interested in the game in the United States, a country which has tremendous potential for growth in cricketing terms.”

    “We are extremely grateful to DirecTV for their support and look forward to a mutually beneficial partnership with them,” added Mani.

    GCC managing director Ian Frykberg said, “Global Cricket Corporation looks forward to working with DirecTV at the ICC Champions Trophy 2006 later this year and at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 next year.”

    Cricket is extraordinarily popular among populations from South Asia, West Indies and many other parts of the world. Since late 2004, DirecTV has been offering customers access to cricket matches via the DirecTV CricketTicket package, the first-ever, year-long subscription TV package for international cricket.

    All other international programming is being offered through DirecTV’s WorldDirect platform, which features 39 channels that deliver a wide variety of new programming in multiple foreign languages, including Russian, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Bengali, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Korean, Italian and Ukrainian, to underserved ethnic markets throughout the United States.

    DirecTV customers will need to use a WorldDirect services satellite dish that is capable of receiving both international and English-language programming. In some markets, customers who subscribe to a local channels package will require a second smaller dish.

  • TDSAT rules in favour of ESPN in dues dispute with ICC

    TDSAT rules in favour of ESPN in dues dispute with ICC

    MUMBAI: ESPN Software India has won its case against Pune’s biggest MSO Intermedia Cable Communication (ICC) for recovery of dues that go back to December 2004.

    In what is being described as a landmark judgment, the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), which was hearing the case on a complaint filed by the sports broadcaster late last month, has directed ICC to clear of its pending dues even in the absence of any written contract.

    The dues under dispute cover the the period 5 December 2004 to 8 June 2005 when the operator was provided signals even though the agreement between the two companies had expired as of 5 December 2003.

    TDSAT has ruled that since the signals were continued beyond the date of termination of the agreement, the subscription fee for the period be kept at the old rate of Rs 32 per subscriber. This amounted to a monthly subscription of Rs 1,272,000 per month that was owed to ESPN for the period under dispute.

    The Tribunal has directed ICC to pay ESPN Rs 7,221,000 in three equal monthly installments payable on 1 June, 1 July and 1 August respectively. In its order, TDSAT indicated that since the MSO had argued that it was facing a a problem of recovery of money from the ground, a point not denied by ESPN, it was giving the operator three months to clear the dues.

    Any further delays would make ICC liable to pay additional interest at 12 per cent per annum, the Tribunal has ruled.

    Commenting on the development, ESPN’s CFO Vijay Rajput said, “This is a landmark judgment. This judgment will act as a precedent wherever the cable operators arm twist broadcasters under the pretext of negotiations.”

    During the course of the hearing, an interesting point that came up was that the relations between the two parties turned sour following the alleged disconnection of signals by ESPN for four days in January 2004 at the time of the India–Australia cricket series followed by another disconnection in June 2004 for two days at the time of the Euro Soccer Football matches. ICC had claimed that the two signal disruptions were done despite excess subscription amounts having been made to ESPN.

    The MSO argued that it paid subscription w.e.f 5 December 2003 at the old rate despite not being able to collect the amounts from the ground. The crux of its argument was however that since no fresh agreement was entered into after the expiry of the contract on 5 December 2003, ESPN was therefore not entitled to make any claim for the period 5 December 2004 to 5 June 2005.

    ICC in its counter affidavit had stated, “The Tribunal has no jurisdiction to entertain this petition; that the service contract dated 5 December 2003 provides for arbitration, and that ESPN even though a company incorporated in India is in reality foreign controlled, as such, it has no right/locus standi to enter into agreement with any of the companies in India without permission from the government of India”.

    Responding to the objections raised by the MSO, the Tribunal stated that it had the jurisdiction to adjudicate on this matter.

  • Zee wins ‘neutral venue’ media rights for $ 219.15 million

    Zee wins ‘neutral venue’ media rights for $ 219.15 million

    NEW DELHI: The numbers are going beyond believable as far as India cricket is concerned. Subhash Chandra’s Zee Telefilms has secured the rights for the latest money-mopping plan the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has pulled out of its cupboard — for matches played by India at neutral venues (non-ICC member countries) over the next five years.

    And the winning bid: a whopping $219.15 million (average of $ 8.77 million per match) for 25 matches spread over the next five years.
    The 25 matches will involve mainly Pakistan as the opposition, but will also include top cricket countries like Australia, England and West Indies. With this, the minimum bid guarantee of the BCCI has crossed the $1 billion mark all told.

    Zee Telefilms also becomes the rights holder for radio and broadband in non ICC member countries where matches may be played. It would also negotiate with pubcaster Doordarshan independently for a terrestrial feed.

    “This cricket property puts us on a strong wicket and would help us in our growth,” Zee Sports business head Himanshu Mody told Indiantelevision.com, adding that “the loss of India cricket rights have been more than made up”.

    The other bidders in the fray for the overseas rights were ESPN Star Sports (disqualified for bidding below the floor price), Nimbus and Sahara One Media & Entertainment.

    The media rights for this latest piece of the India cricket pie will be inaugurated with the two-match Indo-Pakistan limited over series that will be held in Abu Dhabi later this month. The presenting sponsor is Indian real estate major DLF and the ground rights for this series was secured by PDM International for $ 3.61 million.

    Pointing out that Rs 900 million are expected to be generated from these two matches, BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi said 50 per cent of the proceeds will go to Pakistan for earthquake relief fund, while the rest will be donated to the Indian Prime Minister’s relief Fund.

    Pakistan Cricket Board’s director cricket operations Salim Altaf, who was present during the opening of the financial bids as an independent observer, also exchanged documents with BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah, signifying an understanding between the two countries for playing matches under a bi-lateral agreement.

    The 25 matches are to be played in places like Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Holland, Lords, Oval and Birmingham in England, Toronto, New York, Tristate Area, Houston, Chicago, Palo Alto, Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur.

    According to BCCI’s Modi, negotiations are on with the respective countries for venues. All the matches will also be recognized by the International Cricket Council and form part of India’s playing calendar.

    HOW THE DIFFERENT BIDS STACKED UP

    While Zee is likely to end up paying a total of at least $ 219.15 million over a period of five years on an average price of $ 8.77 million per match, the break-up of payment year-wise varies.

    According to documents circulated by the BCCI today at a press conference here, Zee bid $ 5.04 million for the first year, $ 6.03 million for the second year, $ 6.66 million for the third year, $ 8.10 million for the fourth year and $ 18 million for the last year.

    Similarly, the other bidders too had bid separately for every year. ESS had bid $ 2.86 million for each of the five years.

    Nimbus bid $ 5 million for the first year, $ 6 million for the second year, $ 7 million for the third year, $ 8 million for the fourth year and $ 14 million for the fifth year with an average of $ 8 million per match.

    Sahara’s bids were $ 5.32 million, $ 5.41 million, $ 6.40 million, $ 7.21 million and $ 10.90 million for each of the five years where on an average per match was costing $ 7.048 million.

    On being asked how does it feel to be on the losing side, Nimbus’ chairman Harish Thawani shot back, “Seeing the winner’s bids, I feel we got the rights to India cricket cheap. I wish Zee all the best.”

    Nimbus had bagged the four-year rights of Indian cricket for a whopping $ 612 million, beating the likes of Zee Telefilms ($ 513 million and ESS.

    DRAMA BEFORE THE ANNOUNCEMENT

    Can anything related to cricket and BCCI be bereft of drama? Probably not.

    Before the media was apprised of the transparent way in which the BCCI conducts its affairs, especially those relating to bidding, journalists were kept waiting at a five-star hotel here as a closed-door meeting of cricket officials and representatives of bidding companies took place.

    Reportedly, there were two adjournments when frantic calls were made by some of those present in the meeting to their bosses.

    It seems there was some confusion regarding the way prices of every one year of the five-year contract period were to be quoted and calculated.

    When that got sorted out, discussions took place on the formal protests lodged by Zee Telefilms and Nimbus relating to the submission of financial bids by Sahara yesterday in Mumbai.

    While Modi reiterated that there were “no irregularities” in the Sahara bid, Zee Sports’ Mody smiled away questions on yesterday’s protests. “We don¡’t have any issue now,” he said, while sharing the dais with BCCI officials.

    While making a grand exit from the press conference, BCCI’s Modi said, ‘These rights will ensure coverage of matches played by India in non-ICC member countries as well. Professionalizing this aspect of Indian cricket management will make the sport, especially the Indian game, accessible to Indian communities across the globe, including the non ICC member countries.”