Digital rights to drive first-ever e-auction

Star India and Sony Network Pictures (SPN) India had expressed reservations about the per match value (PMV) of non-India matches.

The BCCI would be hoping to make upwards of Rs. 4200 crore from the auction.

The BCCI on Tuesday will conduct its first-ever e-auction in Mumbai to decide which conglomerate will own the media rights for domestic and international matches from April 2018 to March 2023.

Star India and Sony Network Pictures (SPN) India had expressed reservations about the per match value (PMV) of non-India matches lest the BCCI squeezed in multi-country events that are not part of the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP).

Star India, which held the media rights for the last six years, had earlier told the board that the online auction makes it mandatory upon the potential bidders to specify PMV for each contract year without any differentiation in value based on visiting teams.

The communication from Star further said: "Additionally the requirement that the bidder attributes the same PMV to matches that do not involve the Indian senior men’s team will have a further impact on commercial valuation.

"The BCCI will appreciate that matches between two visiting teams will never have the same commercial valuation as a match involving the Indian senior men’s team."

The e-auction will be held for three packages that are (1) Global TV Rights plus Rest of World (ROW) Digitals Rights package with a PMV of Rs. 35 crore for 2018-19 and Rs. 33 crore for each of next four years (2) Indian sub-continent Digital Rights package with a PMV of Rs. 8 crore for 2018-19 and Rs. 7 crore for each of next four years and (3) Global Consolidated Rights package with  a PMV of Rs. 43 crore for 2018-19 and Rs. 40 crore for each of next four years.

The bidding increments on total value for five years is Rs. 20 crore for package 1 (p1), Rs. 5 crore for p2 and Rs. 25 crore for p3.

The BCCI has stated, in its invitation to tender (ITT), that 21 internationals will be held in 2018-19, 23 in 2019-20,14 in 2020-21, 23 in 2021-22 and 21 in 2022-23, all making up for 102 internationals (Tests, ODIs and Twenty20 internationals). So taking into consideration the base price alone, the BCCI would be hoping to make upwards of Rs. 4200 crore from the auction.