The world of cricket has witnessed an example shift as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) takes a bold decision by reducing the base price for India’s bilateral broadcasting rights auction. This strategic step is expected to remodel the dynamics of sports broadcasting, triggering effects across the cricketing landscape and the large media industry.
The BCCI’s decision to cut down the base price is ready to set fierce competition among popular broadcasters, thereby involving audience engagement, revenue generation, and the very nature of cricket consumption.
BCCI’s broadcasting decision:
The BCCI lowered the overall base price to INR 45 crore in every match. The TV and digital rights of the bilateral matches have been divided into 2 packages at INR 200 million (INR 20 crore) and INR 250 million (INR 25 crore) per match, for 88 matches within the cycle (25 Tests, 27 ODI, and 36 T20I). The combined base price stands at INR 39.6 billion (INR 3,960 crore).
Similarly, the BCCI has reduced the base price of title sponsorship rights for international cricket matches played inside India to INR 2.4 crore in every match. In the last cycle, Paytm and MasterCard had paid INR 3.8 crore per match. The title sponsorship period will begin in 2023’s September and end in August of 2026. The total amount of the 3-year sponsorship will be INR 134.4 crore. The agreement 56 matches, including 15 Tests, 15 One Day matches, and 26 T-20 international matches will be covered.
The upcoming schedule:
According to the details description in the Invitation to Tender document, the broadcast cycle is designed by BCCI with a front and back-loaded structure. The cycle is made with 8 matches against Australia, 3 One Day matches in September and 5 T-20Is in November – considering the scheduled for October and November. Australia is also featured at the other end of the 2023-28 cycle with 5 Tests in January-March 2027, 3 One Day matches, and 5 T-20Is in November-December of that year.
The games against England are similarly front and back-loaded in the cycle. 5 Test matches are fixed at the beginning that is in January-March 2024. They make a return schedule 12 months later to participate in 8 white ball matches, 3 One Days, and 5 T-20Is in January and February of 2025. In January and March of 2028, finally, the broadcasting cycle comes to an end with 5 Tests.
A broadcaster involved in the bidding process explained that a significant part of the matches against Australia and England has been distributed properly. But the challenge comes out with the scheduled timing of the 8 matches against Australia as these are placed just before or immediately after the ODI World Cup 2023. According to the broadcasters, monetizing those matches may prove quite challenging, especially for the sponsors who fund them.
Among the other nations, Sri Lanka will have only one series at home during this cycle which is in December of 2026. It will consist of 3 ODIs and an equal number of T-20Is. No home Tests are fixed against them in this upcoming cycle. Afghanistan is supposed to play one Test and 3 ODIs in June of 2026. This indicates their second visit to India within the cycle, following 3 T-20Is in January of 2024. The dates of these matches have already been confirmed, 11th, 14th, and 17th January in Mohali, Indore, and Bengaluru.
South Africa has been featured only once in this cycle. It will be a full-fledged series comprising 2 Tests, 3 ODIs, and 5 T-20s in November and December of 2025. New Zealand’s involvement includes 3 Tests and 8 white ball face-offs in the latter half of 2024 and early 2026.
“This is a robust offering, with 60 out of the 88 games featuring competition against top-tier teams. The BCCI is not aiming for excessively high value. The relatively modest base prices (INR 20 crore for India TV and INR 25 crore for digital and global packages) provide the rationale for this”, an industry insider states on the package.
Finishing lines:
The BCCI’s calculated move to reduce the base price for India’s bilateral media rights auction is a strategic move that possesses the potential to redesign cricket broadcasting unprecedentedly. By allowing a competitive spirit among broadcasters, the cricketing body of India aims to maximize revenue generation, sharpen the viewing experience for fans, and potentially uplift the global impact of Indian cricket. The future reaction of the auction will illuminate the functions of this strategy and its reactions on the wider cricketing corner.