The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Nimbus emerges the winner

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 18, 2006

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Nimbus emerges the winner

Special Correspondent

MUMBAI : Nimbus Communications has been awarded global media rights for all international and domestic cricket competitions to be played in India for a four-year period.

Addressing the media, the BCCI's vice-president and marketing sub-committee chairman, Lalit Modi, announced the board marketing committee's decision to accept Nimbus' bid worth $612 million from March 1, 2006 to March 31, 2010.

Tenders were invited from interested parties asking for $425 million as minimum guarantee money by the board.

According to Harish Thawani of Nimbus, the identity of the television channel for telecasting England vs India Test and one-day series in March and April 2006 will be made public after the Board's Working Committee meeting on March 21.

Mr. Modi informed that board has identified avenues like mobile telephony, archive rights after 72 rights, public exhibitions and films for raising revenue.

Whopping increase

Mr. Modi pointed out that the Board's projected revenue four years from now is Rs. 2724 crores (media rights) as against Rs. 279 crores over last four years. The total revenue comprising Sahara's team sponsorship, Nike's kit sponsorship and media rights amounts to Rs. 3354 crores for next four years, against Rs. 359 crores over the same period in the past.

"Indian cricket was under-valued in the past," said I.S. Bindra, a current marketing committee member. "Now we are able to get such high value for Indian cricket is because of transparency at every stage of the bidding process under Team Pawar," added the ex-BCCI chief.

Mr. Thawani also stressed the importance of Indian team's performance and the players outlook in taking Indian cricket to a new level. "The Men in Blue are delivering the product."

The BCCI secretary, Niranjan Shah, pointed out that the board was committed to putting back money into Indian cricket, with 26 per cent of revenue arising out of marketing the game confirmed for players in form of match allowances.

"We want Indian cricket's profile to grow in the manner of baseball in America. The game should become so competitive and popular that more and more players are drawn towards cricket.

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