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IPL Media Rights: Amazon, Google all set to pull out; big battle between Star, Viacom, Sony

Ahead of the e-auction for the IPL media rights on Sunday, couple of major players like Amazon, Google etc went out of the table on Friday (June 10).

IPL media right is up for grabs for 2023-2027 cycle

Mumbai, June 10: Ahead of the e-auction for the IPL media rights on Sunday, couple of major players like Amazon, Google etc went out of the table on Friday (June 10).

The IPL media rights were expected to sell for around Rs 50000 crore or more for the 2023-2027 cycle, and now the main battle will be between incumbent Disney managed Star Sports, Reliance-owned Viacom (Network 18), Zee Networks and Sony Sports.

It was expected that the Jeff Bezos-owned Amazon would give a close run to the other contenders but they have decided to back out.

Other contenders in the fray such as Google, Facebook and YouTube too have been refrained from entering the technical bidding on Friday.

Star India are the current media rights holders of the IPL having spent Rs 16347.5 crore in 2017 but it expected that the TV rights for the next 5-year cycle could fetch the BCCI a sum well over the double over the current amount.

Though the Amazon has not made any official statement about the withdrawal, it has been speculated that the e-commerce, OTT major has decided to pull out because they have already invested a massive Rs 6 billion in India on various projects.

Additionally, the Amazon does not have a TV channel to air sporting event but will have to telecast them primarily through the Prime Video, as it had done during a recent Test series involving New Zealand and the West Indies.

While a low-profile Test series can be aired in such a manner, i.e through the OTT, telecasting a league like IPL which has major receivers in India and abroad would require them to either open a TV channel or engage themselves into a tie-up with another network.

It might not be a feasible idea even for a five-year cycle, hence their withdrawal as per Bloomberg. This is the first time the media rights are sold online via e-auction.

Story first published: Friday, June 10, 2022, 15:34 [IST]
Other articles published on Jun 10, 2022