Star India and Sony — are questioning the parameters for the April 3 e-auctions, raising concerns over the competency of the Board administration.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) might be eying a windfall of over Rs 5,000 crores from its media rights, but the two big players — Star India and Sony — are questioning the parameters for the April 3 e-auctions, raising concerns over the competency of the Board administration.
After the deadline of March 27 (5.00pm) for completion of formalities had expired, BCCI CEO Rahul Johri sent an email to all concerned parties at 12.05pm on March 28, informing them about extending the window till 11.00am on March 29. The decision to do so has raised eyebrows.
"Extending the dates after the expiry of the last date is a serious issue. Was it a deliberate attempt to favour one particular company?" a source from a bidding TV company told DNA on Friday.
Sony has said these "last-minute changes are difficult for it to prepare bid in such short time". They've also attributed the ongoing long holiday season for the same. Moreover, there had been a delay of a week by BCCI as nearly 322 queries were too voluminous for BCCI to answer.
Unlike in 2012, when media rights for home international matches were distributed on an identical price of little over Rs 43 crore each, Star has raised the issue of separate bidding for different matches, depending on the recent TRP figures.
Star has cited the TRP rating chart, wherein an India-Pakistan game got as much as 11.5 rating as compared to an average of two for all non-India games.
"The BCCI and COA will appreciate that this creates an open-ended, entirely immitigable exposure for the bidder, given that (a) there is no ceiling -- and indeed no indicative parameters whatsoever -- on the number of matches that may be organised involving two visiting teams only, and (b) the bidder is expected to attribute the same per match value to any such match, without any realistic possibility of recovering such values from commercialisation of the rights to such matches," a letter from Star stated.
On BCCI's part, the issue of media rights has only been discussed among four parties --- Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (COA), BCCI CEO, CFO and legal team.
Why such a big issue was not taken to the marketing committee or general body of BCCI can only be explained by COA.
In 2012 when the last TV rights were distributed for a mammoth Rs 43crore per game, there were extensive discussions held amongst the BCCI marketing committee and the working committee, besides other members of the general body.
For the record, the marketing committee still exists in the BCCI but the names in the panel have been deleted from the official website. And, a private player called 'mjunction' has been roped in to help the Board.
2 Biggies, Multiple Issues
- Star wants separate bidding for different matches, depending on the recent TRP figures
- Sony has said BCCI’s last-minute changes have made it difficult for it ‘to prepare a bid in such short time’
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