After 3 days of dramatic and intense auction for IPL media rights, BCCI finally declared the winners of the IPL media rights auction for the 2023-27 cycle. Disney-owned Star India retained the TV contract for Indian subcontinent for $3.05bn. Meanwhile, Viacom18 has acquired streaming rights for the same region for $3.05bn.
On Tuesday, the bidding for Package C, a special collection of 98 games for a five-year term, continued for the third day (June 14). Viacom18 subsequently bought it for INR 3,273 crore. This will give it access to 18 IPL games. It will encompass the season opener, final, and nighttime games on weekends. Finally, Package D, which brought the proceedings to end, was sold for INR 1,058 crore to Viacom18 and Times Internet.
IPL amongst the highest-ranked sports leagues
The two deals are greater than twice the $2.4 billion Star invested for the IPL’s past 5 seasons. In terms of cost-per-match, IPL is amongst the highest-ranked sports leagues, along with the NFL in the United States and the English Premier League. BCCI Treasurer Arun tweeted saying, “So digital turned out to be bigger than linear TV this season in #IPLMediaRights. I would like to thank all the participants for their interest in the best “Made in India” sports property. In my view, the transparency of the whole process is truly Winner no.1.Big thanks to fans!”
IPL media rights value:
- Package A: INR 23,575 crore (INR 57.50 cr per game for as many as 410 matches)
- Package B: INR 20,500 crore (INR 50 cr per match for the same number of fixtures)
- Package C: INR 3,257.52 crore (INR 33.24 cr per encounter for 98 special matches)
- Package D: INR 1,058 crore (for combined TV, digital rights for overseas)
This year, the cost of IPL media rights nearly tripled, with digital proving to be the most important factor. The fourth edition of MICA Ahmedabad’s Indian Over-the-Top (OTT) Platforms Report 2021 (post-pandemic consumption) revealed that digital subscriptions increased by 49%. Viewership was highest among those aged 15 to 34, a demographic that is well-suited to the IPL.
