The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : PricewaterhouseCoopers to screen bids on BCCI's behalf

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 08, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

PricewaterhouseCoopers to screen bids on BCCI's behalf

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI, AUG. 7. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers to assist it in vetting the bid for the television and radio broadcasting rights for four years from 2004-05 to 2007-2008.

The BCCI through advertisement in newspapers on Saturday has invited bids. The rights do not include any international, or domestic, matches played as special events like Platinum Jubilee — India vs. Pakistan on World Children's Day (November 14) in Kolkata — and excluded rights mentioned in the bid document.

Bids have been restricted to companies involved in broadcasting business and those who have successfully telecast International Cricket Council events.

Five years ago BCCI signed a five-year contract with Prasar Bharati for up-linking 27 days of international cricket (Tests and one-day internationals) in a year or 135 days of international cricket over five years. The BCCI's revenue shot up with Prasar Bharati paying Rs. 46 crores per annum — Rs. 230 crores for five years — (from 1999-2000 to 2003-04) as against Rs.9 crores per annum from the previous agreement with TWI/ESPN.

Forty per cent of the television rights revenue was shared among the associations staging Test, one-day internationals and three-day friendly games, 30 per cent among the non-staging centre and 30 per cent retained by the Board.

Now with the BCCI earmarking 26 per cent of its gross receipts for international cricketers, first class and junior cricketers, the percentage of sharing will change. In effect, the staging and non-staging centres are likely to receive more because the next four-year cycle is likely to fetch the Board around Rs. 500 crores. Presently, the associations staging Test matches receive Rs. 1.50 crores and associations staging one-day internationals Rs. 1.30 crores.

Chennai, Bangalore, Nagpur and Mumbai will stage Test matches against Australia, and Kanpur and Kolkata against South Africa. Thereafter three Test matches and five one-day internationals have been scheduled against Pakistan. The guarantee money payable by the Test match staging associations to the BCCI has been fixed at Rs. 30 lakhs. For one-day internationals it is Rs. 2 lakhs.

The Board is also considering inviting tenders for internet rights from this season. The bids for the television and radio broadcasting will close on August 14. The working committee and marketing committee meeting in Kolkata on August 16 and 17 will consider the bids.

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