ICC Media Rights – ICC vs BCCI IPL Rights: – Days after BCCI stunned ICC by announcing that it will release the IPL media rights tender on October 25 immediately after announcing the two new IPL teams for 2022, the international body has decided to maximise its revenue by cutting down on the duration of its media rights. Instead of an 8-year period, the ICC now wants it to be divided in four-year tenures. Furthermore, instead of a consolidated global rights holder, the ICC wants to have multiple rights holders based on the territories.
“A year ago, the ICC began working on this plan. They realized that opting to float a tender just for the India market – their biggest revenue-earner – would help them consolidate their biggest market first and then allow them the necessary time and resources to tender other global territories such as UK & Europe, Americas, African countries, Australia and New Zealand,” sources were quoted by TOI.
ICC Media Rights: Stumped by BCCI, ICC mulls reducing media rights duration to four years, decision likely on Nov 16 board meeting
ICC Media Rights – ICC vs BCCI IPL Rights: InsideSport earlier reported that ICC wanted to invite tenders for media rights two years early to avoid a clash with the BCCI’s IPL media rights and release its own tender before the Indian board could.
That way, ICC could maximise the broadcasting rights revenue. However, in a blow to their plans, BCCI announced that they would instead be releasing the IPL media rights for the 2023-27 cycle on October 25.
“It’s right, ICC this time is likely to shun the process of selling all rights to one broadcaster as is the case with the current cycle of ICC rights where Star holds the entire global pie. ICC is likely to distribute their rights on the territory to territory basis,” a well-informed source in the ICC told InsideSport earlier in September.
As the broadcasting companies are expected to queue up for IPL rights, ICC now wants to go after the rest of the companies.
“BCCI’s move clearly took the industry by surprise because the ICC was trying to work out and see if they could bring a tender ahead of the BCCI. This BCCI move stumped the ICC and other stakeholders. Now the ICC has no choice but to wait for the IPL tender to come out, else they position themselves in a stand-off with the BCCI,” sources told TOI.
IPL vs ICC Media Rights: Why is ICC cutting media rights duration by half?
- As BCCI announced the IPL rights tender to be released immediately after October 25, ICC expects their rights to be sold for less.
- Currently, Star India holds both ICC and IPL rights.
- Once the IPL media rights are sold, ICC expects the attention to shift to its media rights with plenty of ICC events lined up. ICC wants to cash in on the fear of missing out as companies who will miss out on the IPL rights are expected to go after ICC.
- Instead of a global consolidated rights holder, to maximise revenue, ICC wants territorial rights holders.
- ICC will first invite tender for the Indian subcontinent as India is line up to host multiple ICC events during the 2024-31 cycle.
- The bidders who will miss out on the IPL rights will want to jump for ICC as they won’t want to miss out.
Even though ICC has set the plan in motion, it wants to get a green signal from all the board members on November 16, two days after the T20 World Cup final to get final approval.
Also Read in Hindi:
Stumped by BCCI, ICC mulls reducing media rights duration to four years, decision likely on Nov 16 board meeting
“It’s a win-win for the ICC if they do this correctly. They earn BCCI’s friendship; they get desperate players in the market queuing up for their rights. They get enough time to lock host countries for their next rights cycle and most importantly, their tender can technically come ahead of the IPL in 2027 when the new sale of rights will begin again,” sources said.
