Mumbai: At the end of intense bidding over three days through e-auction, BCCI secretary Jay Shah announced the winning bidders on Tuesday. The IPL Media Rights auction for the period 2023 to 2027 has garnered a record Rs 48,390 crore value for five years. With this value, the IPL has moved ahead of the globally popular English Premier League, Major League Baseball (MLB) and The National Basketball Association (NBA) and emerged as the second most valuable sports league globally.
Star India retaining the television rights for ₹23,575 crore, while the Viacom18-led combine bagging the digital rights for Indian sub-continent at ₹23,758 crore. Overseas TV and Digital Rights are shared by Viacom18 and Times Internet for Rs 1324 crore. Viacom18 won the rights of Aus, SA, UK territories, while Times Internet bagged MENA & US sectors.
Reacting to the outcome, Rebecca Campbell, Chairman, International Content and Operations, The Walt Disney Company said, “We made disciplined bids with a focus on long-term value. We chose not to proceed with the digital rights given the price required to secure that package. IPL is an important component of our portfolio of television channels in India, providing an incredible opportunity for us to showcase The Walt Disney Company’s powerful global brands and iconic storytelling, as well as Disney Star’s impressive collection of local original content, to millions of viewers in India.”
Retaining future cricket rights of ICC and BCCI:
Expressing their intention to retain other Cricketing events owned by Disney Star, Campbell said, “We will be exploring other multiplatform cricket rights, including future rights for International Cricket Council (ICC) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which we currently hold through the 2023 and 2024 seasons, respectively. Additionally, we hold Pro Kabaddi League rights, Indian Super League football rights, as well as various international sports rights, including the Wimbledon Championships and the English Premier League.”
Focus on strengthening original content slate:
Campbell also revealed that Disney Star will be focusing on growing the slate of original entertainment content for Disney+ Hotstar and television channels in the region.
“Our vast portfolio of more than 70 television channels in India cuts across general entertainment, films, sports, infotainment, kids, and lifestyle content, reaching 90% of pay cable and satellite TV homes in the region. Disney+ Hotstar has changed the way Indians watch their entertainment – from favorite locally produced original TV shows, to global blockbuster films, and popular sporting events. Last year, Disney+ Hotstar was home to seven of the Top Ten Hindi SVOD entertainment series in India, and we currently have more than 100 local original titles in our content pipeline — with over 80 local originals slated to premiere this fiscal year” added Campbell.
