New Delhi: The Competition Commission has launched an investigation into the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BBCI) over the awarding of Indian Premier League (IPL) media rights.
The investigation follows a complaint by Pan India Infraprojects (formerly known as Essel Sports), which is a promoter of the Indian Cricket League (ICL), for excluding it from bidding for IPL Broadcast rights.
In a report dated 1 June, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) said, “it appears that BCCI has abused its dominant position in the market of organisation of professional domestic cricket leagues in India by excluding the informant (Pan India Infraprojects) or any of its group companies from participating in tenders for media rights for IPL”.
The CCI added, “The sports federations engaged in organisation of tournaments leagues are put to advantage if they also possess the authority to grant approval for organisation of similar events by others and set conditions for such organisation. BCCI seems to have taken advantage of such a situation”.
In November 2017, the BCCI was fined INR 522.4 million by the CCI following a separate case filed by cricket fan Surinder Singh Barmi.
The Pan India Infraprojects case, which is being looked at in light of the earlier ruling, will now be investigated by the Director General (DG) of the CCI.
