Sony Television makes move to retain IPL broadcasting rights

Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI) wants to continue its lucrative tie with the Indian Premier League (IPL) after its original 10-year contract as the official broadcaster of the T20 league comes to an end in 2017.

Sony has already begun their efforts to keep the deal intact. SPNI CEO, NP Singh, met BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke and new CEO Rahul Johri on Wednesday morning, and submitted a written letter expressing his company’s interest in bidding again for the IPL’s TV rights.

According to the BCCI’s rules and regulations, the company had to inform the boards about the interest in retaining the rights post IPL 10 (which will take place next year) within 60 days of the final in 2016.

SPNI broadcasts the IPL on a number of its channels including Set Max, Sony Six and Sony ESPN since 5the lucrative leagues inception in 2008.

In 2009, SPN — then known as MSM —had bought the broadcasting rights for USD 1.6 billion for the following nine editions.

While the previous TV rights had been signed for a period of 10 years, sources in the BCCI have revealed that the duration of the next contract is likely to be cut down to five years.

“MSM has a right to refusal and it also has the right to match the offer. Over the next 60 days, the company will come up with a new offer. We are expecting the amount to be double of what it was in the last contract. We have conducted our own market research and if we are not convinced with the offer made by Sony, we will call for a fresh tender. And if any company bids higher than what Sony offers, then they will either have to match that price or the board will offer the new contract to the highest bidder,” a top BCCI official explained.

In a press statement recently, SPNI insisted that the last week of the IPL’s ninth edition had orchestrated a 22 per cent growth in terms of viewership.

It stated that 347 million viewers had tuned in to watch the IPL, establishing it as the biggest television event in India. And it’s not surprising that Sony are keen on continuing to be the home of the IPL on television.