BCCI gets nod to open technical bids for TV rights
Rahul Sharma - Televisionpoint.com
The Board of Control for Cricket in India, BCCI has received the permission to open the technical bids for the four-year TV rights, but it cannot make the outcome public before informing the Delhi High Court.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice B A Khan and M B Lokur allowed issued the order on October 04 after Zee Telefilms, which had filed a case against the BCCI, said it had no objection to opening of the bid to determine which TV channel would telecast international cricket matches to be organised in India between October 2005 and September 2009.
The BCCI marketing team will fix a date for opening the bids shortly. The Board will need to inform the court about the bid result on October 19. The first series in the four-year BCCI calendar is scheduled to start on October 25 between India and Sri Lanka. The last date for submitting the bids was August 23.
The BCCI set a floor price of around RS 1,000 crore this time. Despite that, four channels, Zee Sports, ESPN Star Sports, Sony and Prasar Bharati, had bid for the four-year TV rights. Even as there has been market speculation on who the highest bidder is, there's no confirmation yet. Zee and ESPN-Star Sports are understood to be keen on bagging the rights. Dubai-based Ten Sports stayed out of the race.
The present set of eligibility criteria was framed by the BCCI in such a manner so as to 'exclude' the petitioner andor other Indian television channels and favour ESPN-Star Sports, Zee had alleged. It was referring to the three-year broadcasting experience.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India, BCCI has received the permission to open the technical bids for the four-year TV rights, but it cannot make the outcome public before informing the Delhi High Court.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice B A Khan and M B Lokur allowed issued the order on October 04 after Zee Telefilms, which had filed a case against the BCCI, said it had no objection to opening of the bid to determine which TV channel would telecast international cricket matches to be organised in India between October 2005 and September 2009.
The BCCI marketing team will fix a date for opening the bids shortly. The Board will need to inform the court about the bid result on October 19. The first series in the four-year BCCI calendar is scheduled to start on October 25 between India and Sri Lanka. The last date for submitting the bids was August 23.
The BCCI set a floor price of around RS 1,000 crore this time. Despite that, four channels, Zee Sports, ESPN Star Sports, Sony and Prasar Bharati, had bid for the four-year TV rights. Even as there has been market speculation on who the highest bidder is, there's no confirmation yet. Zee and ESPN-Star Sports are understood to be keen on bagging the rights. Dubai-based Ten Sports stayed out of the race.
The present set of eligibility criteria was framed by the BCCI in such a manner so as to 'exclude' the petitioner andor other Indian television channels and favour ESPN-Star Sports, Zee had alleged. It was referring to the three-year broadcasting experience.
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