MUMBAI: With just over a month left before the start of the inaugural edition of SA20, league commissioner Graeme Smith promised Indian fans an action-filled, world-class league with their broadcast partners Viacom18 Sports.
In November, Viacom18 and SA20 announced a ten-year media rights partnership to exclusively broadcast and stream South Africa’s recently-launched premier T20 league in India for the next ten years. While financial terms were not revealed, SportzPower understands that the Reliance Industries-controlled network has committed to pay $90 million over ten years for the rights.
“The goal of SA20 is to get South Africa cricket back to the place we all know it belongs – competing with India, competing with the likes of England and Australia and keeping the international game strong,” said Smith at an event with Viacom18 Sports here on Friday.
He added, “We have that opportunity now through the partners we have been able to attract – the six teams, we are going to put sixty to eighty of South African players on the map and bring that fandom to India and the new heroes will come to the IPL and play for South Africa all around the world – that’s out goal. We want to build something vibrant and be able to build the biggest league outside India is something that we would really love to achieve.”
The six teams in SA20, Durban’s Super Giants, Jo’burg Super Kings, MI Cape Town, Paarl Royals, Pretoria Capitals, and Sunrisers Eastern Cape, are owned by Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise owners.
As per South African media reports, the Johannesburg and Cape Town franchises were the most expensive, at nearly $28 million each, while the Pretoria franchise cost around $25m and the Durban franchise $11m.
These amounts are payable over 10 years to the new company that was established between Cricket South Africa, SuperSport and Indian sports business professional Sundar Raman to manage the tournament. As per media reports, the stakeholding breakup in said company is CSA 55%, Super Sport 35% and Raman 20%.
A team’s expenses can be between $5.1m (the bid price per year plus the $4m operating costs) and $6.4m per franchise per season.
The popularity of South African players with Indian fans coupled with the pedigree of the team owners gives SA20 a robust platform to build one of top international T20 leagues globally.
“SA20 is primed to become one of the most popular T20 leagues in the world,” said Viacom18 Sports CEO Anil Jayaraj at an event celebrating the partnership. “At prime-time in India, the cricket loving audience will watch South Africa’s most revered players along with global superstars and our presentation will match the energy and excitement that will come with it.”
The league features teams playing each other twice in a round-robin stage before the semis and final played over four weeks. MI Cape Town and neighbours Paarl Royals kickstart the tournament at Newlands on Tuesday, January 10. The opening game will be followed by Durban’s Super Giants hosting the Joburg Super Kings at Kingsmead on Wednesday, January 11
The SA20 will see international superstars like Quinton de Kock, Faf Du Plessis, Kagiso Rabada, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Rashid Khan, Jos Buttler, Eoin Morgan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Liam Livingstone, Maheesh Theekshana, Jason Holder in action.
The addition of the SA20 strengthens Viacom18’s portfolio of world-class sporting events, including the Indian Premier League (digital rights), FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, NBA, Diamond League, LaLiga, Serie A, Ligue 1, and top ATP and BWF events.
