The broadcaster has reportedly been demanding an assurance on the blue-riband India-Pakistan series slated for next year
So what is the trigger that forced the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to bite the bullet in its broadcast deal? With neither the BCCI nor Nimbus speaking out, it has become a matter of intense speculation, but the truth seems to be lying beyond the ‘defaults’ by the broadcaster.
In BCCI circles there is talk that Nimbus had been issuing veiled threats to the board for failing to give an assurance on the India-Pakistan series that is slated to take place in March-April next year. There is a perception that the broadcaster was demanding a review of its entire deal with the board if the series were to get cancelled, given the political and diplomatic tensions between the neighbours. Privately, even board officials admit that the series is unlikely to take place.
“We were promised an India-Pakistan series in the four-year deal,” said a source giving Nimbus’s side of the dispute. “That is the blue riband event in the whole deal. The board cannot promise us gold and silver and deliver only silver.”
It has been claimed that Nimbus was unwilling to release the full payment for the England and West Indies series, contending that the amount should be adjusted if the India-Pakistan series were to fall through.
The BCCI, of course, was unwilling to take these threats lying down. Its contention was that Nimbus has been regular defaulter and now owes the board almost Rs100 crore.
The board timed the decision perfectly. It scrapped the deal immediately after the West Indies series. With no matches scheduled to take place in India for nearly 10 months, it can take its own time find a new broadcaster. Immediately, it has no plans to float a tender.
Nimbus, which has been associated with Indian cricket since 2006, had agreed to pay approximately Rs2,000 crore for four years (Rs31.5 crore per international fixture) when its contract was renewed in 2009. The scrapped contract was scheduled to run till 2014.
The board now plans to encash the bank guarantee given by Nimbus. It is believed that the board can retain the entire money until it finds a new broadcaster. There is, of course, this possibility of the whole issue ending up in court. The board’s team claims that it has a watertight case and the termination was done after prior notice. It will be a while before one hears the last word on this dispute.
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