There have been a lot of reports about viewing numbers for cricket matches taking a hit, as monotony sets in amongst viewers with back-to-back domestic and international series.
If the figures from the auction for the media rights to the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the next five-year cycle from 2023 to 2027 is to be considered, onw would think there is nothing wrong in the world of cricket as spectator sport.
Package A and B of the rights, which includes TV and Digital, has been sold for an eye-popping INR 48,390.5 crore (US$ 6.2 billion approx.) This puts the valuation of each IPL match, at above INR 100 crore, on average, setting a new record and making it a windfall for the BCCI.
Many are of the opinion that the IPL has now surpassed the English Premier League in terms of per match value.
Package A and Package B of the media rights have been won by two companies and one of them just might be eyeing a takeover of the entire rights, as per sources in the know.
Amazon had earlier pulled out of the Indian Premier League media rights auction race, as people were keenly expecting a face-off between Jeff Bezos and Mukesh Ambani, as Reliance was also one of the bidders.
Star India had edged out Sony Pictures to secure the lucrative media rights for the 2017-2022 cycle, with a bid of INR 16,347.5 crore.
While this deal also broke records, taking the value of a single match to INR 55 crore, the new cycle has doubled that.
Sony Pictures had won a 10-year deal with a bid of INR 8200 crore, at the start of the IPL.
Update:
Star retained the TV rights in the subcontinent for INR 23,575 crore (US$ 3 billion approx.), while Viacom 18 secured the digital rights in the same region and media rights (both TV and digital) across three global regions – Australia + New Zealand, the UK and South Africa – for INR 23,758 crore (US$ 3 billion approx).
Media rights for two other global regions – the Middle East (INR 205 crore/US$ 26.27 million approx.) and the USA (INR 258 crore/US$ 33.06 million approx.) – go to Times Internet.
This article has been updated