BCCI’s Global Consolidated Media Rights (GCR) for the 2018-2023 cycle saw many big players like Star, Sony and Jio putting in huge bids for the rights of Indian team’s home bilateral series.
In a massive leap, the bidding via e-auction for BCCI media rights touched a record Rs 6032.5 crore at the end of Wednesday, second day of the process.
The GCR comprises worldwide TV broadcast rights as well as digital rights for 102 matches (across three formats) that India will play at home in the next five years. Star Sports India had paid Rs 3851 crore for the media rights from 2012 to 2018, for 96 matches, at Rs 43 crore per game.
Star Sports India finally outbid everyone and won the rights for the BCCI media rights with their winning bid of Rs 6138.1 crores.
The Indian team is set to play 102 games at home in this cycle -- from April 15, 2018 to March 31, 2023 -- it means even at this value, BCCI will be paid around Rs 60.1 crore per match.
Star Sports India faced tough competition from Reliance’s Jio network and Sony Pictures Network in the e-auction.
The bids on Wednesday (April 4) started at 11 am and only three companies -- Star, Sony and Jio - submitted the technical bids and it is a foregone conclusion that the likes of Facebook, Google and YuppTV may have entered into a consortium with the primary bidders.
"Since Star has digital platform HotStar, they are unlikely to partner Facebook or Google. But you never know if Sony has entered into a consortium with either of the two. Google has YouTube. But again it is being evident that cricket sells in India and despite not so favorable publicity at times, Indian cricket still rakes in the moolah. However it is now proved that any bidder will now go for GCR as they don't want those bundles. Star showed that during IPL with a 16,347 crore bid. Now here also the GCRs have surpassed individual bundles," a senior BCCI official told PTI yesterday.
The BCCI is selling media rights for three specific categories --i) the Global TV Rights plus Rest of World (ROW) Digitals Rights package, ii) Indian sub-continent Digital Rights package and iii) Global Consolidated Rights package.
