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It’s not just the Indian media companies that are interested in the media rights of IPL cricket. Overseas broadcasters too have evinced interest, looking to exploit the popularity of the game around the globe.
Sky Sports of the UK and Supersport of South Africa are two such foreign broadcast companies.
Cricbuzz.com quoted sources within the Indian cricket board BCCI in a report confirming the same, stating the two companies have picked up the tender documents. Both Supersports and Sky Sports are expected to bid for the IPL rights in Bouquet D, which covers the world rights (excluding India).
Star India Pvt Ltd, Viacom 18 Media Private Limited (part of Reliance Industries’ media empire), Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited, Amazon Seller Services Pvt Ltd, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited, Sporta Technologies Pvt Ltd (Dream 11), Supersport International Pty Ltd and Sky UK Ltd are the confirmed parties who have taken the tender documents, the cost of which is a non-refundable Rs 25,00,000. The tender document will be available for purchase till May 10, Cricbuzz.com reported.
Though there is speculation about Netflix and Apple too being interested in biting into the IPL gravy train, but with the former recently reporting a dismal quarterly earnings, including loss of about 200 million subscribers worldwide, there’s a question mark whether the streamer would be ready to sink in money in IPL at this juncture. Apple, though, has picked up some sports properties in the US but is yet to outline publicly its strategy for OTT platform Apple TV+ in India. It hasn’t yet shown any interest in investing in Indian original programming, depending on the content of other channel partners (Eros Now, for example) to attract Indian subs.
The present holders of IPL media rights (both broadcast and digital) is Star India, which is part of the Disney family now.
However, with the entry of Uday Shankar, along with James Murdoch, in Reliance-controlled JV Viacom18, as investors (the investment is a little less than $ 2 billion via Bodhi Tree), it is expected that he’s mounting another serious bid for the IPL rights.
Star India bagged the IPL rights last time when Shankar was heading the company in Asia.
