MUMBAI: The media rights auction of the Women’s Indian Premier League (WIPL) was reportedly set to to determine whether all ten franchises that make up the IPL would put in team bids.
Well, Viacom18 has certainly kept up its end of the deal, with a game changing Rs 951 crore ($116.3m) commitment made to the BCCI to secure global broadcast rights for the WIPL for its first five years (2023 to 2027). This effectively makes the T20 tournament one of the most valuable in world cricket and in women’s sport globally.
For context, the Rs 7.09 crore per-match fee that Viacom18 will pay the BCCI over the next five years is more than what the Pakistam Cricket Board earns from its own IPL-templated tournament – the Pakistan Super League.
As per a statement issued by the PCB in January 2022, the media rights for the 2022 and 2023 editions of the PSL was sold at Rs 1.5 billion. “The consortium of ARY and PTV had submitted the highest bid at the aggregated fee of PKR 4,350,786,786 – 50 per cent more than the last cycle – to secure the two-year-long home TV broadcast rights through a robust and transparent bidding process on 23 December.”
The PSL is also due to start a women’s version later this year, joining the Big Bash and The Hundred, which broke new ground in launching its men’s and women’s events simultaneously, on an increasingly busy calendar.
The first WIPL will be played in March, with the names and host cities of the five franchises to be decided when sealed bids from prospective owners are opened on 25 January. At least eight of the 10 men’s IPL sides intend to bid to operate a women’s team and the Glazer family, owners of Manchester United, have also expressed an interest. That will be followed by a player auction in February.
BCCI officials have confirmed that all 10 IPL team owners have purchased the tender document for a WIPL team. The last date to buy the tender documents is 21 January.
The Rs 951 crore media rights agreement covering the first five years of the tournament, and the monies that will come in from the purchase of the 5 WIPL teams will yield some of the most lucrative contracts in women’s cricket.
Former India captain Mithali Raj, who has hinted she will come out of retirement to take part, welcomed the latest development.
After the rights issue, she tweeted: “The Women’s IPL will be a game-changer for women’s cricket and cricket in general. This development represents a significant milestone in that regard. Looking forward to an outstanding tournament.”
Star India cricketer Smriti Mandhana noted: “…Women’s cricket will go to the next level with this global stage provided. Come on girls, it’s all yours for the taking!”
Team India captain Harmanpreet Kaur opined: “Today marks a new era where our women cricketers will get the platform they deserve to thrive, excel and develop on the global stage. I’m sure you’ll be mesmerized by the talent we have!”
Retired India cricketer Jhulan Goswami commented: “This is so heartening and a testimony to the credibility and growth of Women’s Cricket. Am so delighted. Hats off to @bcciwomen and all the best to @viacom18”
Retired India cricketer and commentator Anjum Chopra added: “Wao! This is wonderful news for the womens game. Viacom winning the media rights for womens @IPL. Look forward to the encouraging times for the womens game @BCCIWomen @viacom18”
BCCI secretary Jay Shah put it well when he tweeted Monday: “After pay equity, today’s bidding for media rights for Women’s IPL marks another historic mandate.
“It’s a big and decisive step for empowerment of women’s cricket in India, which will ensure participation of women from all ages.”
Meanwhile, as per ESPNcricinfo, the deadline for Indian players to register for the player auction is January 26 at 5 p.m. IST.
The base price for capped Indian players is set at Rs 30 lakh, Rs 40 lakh, and Rs 50 lakh in the document titled ‘Guidance note for Indian players’ exchanged by the board with the Indian players, the website has reported.
The base price for uncapped players is Rs 10 lakh and Rs 20 lakh. Players have reportedly been instructed to register for the auction directly with their state organisations rather than through agencies or managers.
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