The IPL broadcasting rights war will commence soon, with the current 5-year cycle coming to an end next year. The undisputed leaders of the industry, Star India, will be favourites to regain it for another five years, but this time, they will have much tougher competition.
Currently owned by Walt Disney, Star Networks managed to win the deal for 2018-22, and their bid was higher than what Sony paid for the first 10 years. This time, it is being said that a potential merger between Sony and Zee networks will result in them challenging Star for the broadcasting rights together.
Besides the two favourites, there are some other big players desperate to grab this deal. Facebook, who gave it a shot in 2017 as well, will be back again alongside Amazon. But the one to watch out for will be the Reliance-backed Viacom 18.
Viacom 18 just incurred a sensational deal, winning the broadcasting rights for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This deal came in as a shocker for previous broadcasting rights holders Sony and potential favourites Star. Some experts reckon it might come in as no surprise if Viacom 18 manage outbid the others.
Sony and Zee, who own over 75 channels each across 10 languages, will pip Star as India’s biggest market share holders, owning 27% share of the market. Star currently own 24% and are likely to face still competition.
With majority of the market moving towards digital from TV, Vikas Somani, head of mergers and acquisitions at Zee, feels the competition will only grow bigger.
“Definitely sports is one area which shall be looked upon keenly. It will not only widen our target audience but also enrich our content offerings on digital platforms,”
said Vikas Somani, as quoted by the Financial Times.
IPL viewership has skyrocketed in recent weeks, as confirmed by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah. He shared that IPL viewership as on September 30, is 380 million, 12 million more than the same stage previous year. The IPL tender for media rights will be released this month, likely to be out by the final week.
