Which of the companies will bag the Indian Premier League (IPL) media rights for the 2018 edition of the cricket league? That remains the major question as of now. According to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), as many as 18 companies have bought the ITT (Invitation To Tender) document made available for purchase by the cricket board from September 19 to October 18.
The deadline for the submission of the bids is October 25.
Facebook, Twitter, Reliance Jio, Sony Pictures Network India and Star India are some of the major companies who have picked up the tender document. While the broadcast rights for the Indian subcontinent is for 10 seasons (from 2018 to 2027), the IPL digital rights are valid for five seasons (from 2018 to 2022). The international media rights too are valid for five seasons.
"This is going to be a historical moment for Indian cricket. I am pleased to see the overwhelming response from the media and technology companies for IPL Media Rights," said BCCI president Anurag Thakur in a statement. "With the global trends of showcasing content on multiple platforms becoming increasingly important - TV, Internet and Mobile rights are up for grabs together this time.
"To have as many as 18 prospective bidders in the fray reinstates the faith of market forces in Indian Premier League."
According to various reports, the two frontrunners to bag the IPL broadcast rights are Star India and Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI). It could also turn out that the one of these two major companies could pick up all the three media rights as the BCCI, according to sources, is willing to accept a "consolidated bid" from the TV broadcasters, where they need to put forward a one-bid figure for all three rights packages.
Full list of companies who have bought the tender document
Star India Pvt. Ltd.
Amazon Seller Services Pvt. Ltd.
Followon Interactive Media Pvt. Ltd.
Taj TV India Pvt. Ltd.
Sony Pictures Networks Pvt. Ltd.
Times Internet Ltd.
Supersport International (Pty) Ltd.
Reliance Jio Digital Services Pvt. Ltd.
Gulf DTH FZ LLC
GroupM Media India Pvt. Ltd.
beIN IP Ltd.
Econet Media Ltd.
SKY UK Ltd.
ESPN Digital Media (India) Pvt. Ltd
BTG Legal Services
BT PLC
Twitter Inc.
Facebook Inc.
