MUMBAI: Star India Pvt Ltd on Monday won the rights for audio-visual production services for the Indian Premier League (IPL) and BCCI domestic cricket for the 2018-19 season.
Star, which is host broadcaster of the IPL, won the production contract after a direct face-off with incumbent IMG (UK). For the record, IMG has managed production for the IPL ever since the world’s most valuable annual cricket property was launched in 2008.
Star and IMG were the only bidders. Sunset+ Vine of England, the third qualified party, did not turn up to participate in the process, Mumbai Mirror reports.
While financial details were not disclosed, Mirror further reports that Star bagged the one-year rights by agreeing to manage production for Rs 133 million a year, a fee that was Rs 200 million lower than what IMG had quoted.
The Indian cricket board had invited Request For Proposal (RFP) documents for services relating to the live production of all matches for IPL Season 2018 and Domestic season 2018-19.
The service agreement and the contract term will cover one season of the IPL (2018) and one season of domestic cricket (2018-2019).
“The BCCI, however, reserves the right to extend the term for one more season of IPL (2019) and one more season of domestic cricket (2019-2020) and at its discretion, further extend the term to include IPL season 2020, as provided for in the services agreement,” BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary stated.
