5 Reasons why BCCI is the richest Cricket Board

5 Reasons why BCCI is the richest Cricket Board: As much you try and criticize the BCCI, the bottom line is they have the might and also the money. Or shall we say the might is due to the money. The truth today is international cricket can not survive on the financial front without BCCI’s help. They contribute almost 80% of the Cricket’s global income. It seems that the BCCI has a Midas touch because whatever they do (or don’t do in a few cases) they make huge money. It is difficult to accept that there was a period when the Indian board was not even able to pay their cricketers on time. But how did that revolution come about and what are the factors that contribute to such financial prowess of the BCCI. We list out 5 reasons why the BCCI is the richest Cricket Board 1. IPL – The turning Point KKR IPL Champions 2014. (Photo Source: BCCI) The big moment came when in 2008 the Indian Premier League or IPL started and the BCCI started to mint huge chunks of money. It was not as if the Indian board was any less a financial force before but IPL changed the power equations in World Cricket as well. The blend of Bollywood and Cricket was accepted with open arms by the Indian public which meant stadiums being full and Television sponsorship taking off in a substantial manner. The IPL also brought about a greater scope for corporate money flow and business giants taking interest in Cricket far more than they did earlier. After 7 successful years the lucrative cash rich league has ensured that India is a commercial superpower in world cricket. 2. The Fans (Photo Source: BCCI) However volatile or extreme emotions they display (Indian fans) you can bet that everytime there is an India match getting viewership won’t be an issue. Australia and England are pretty much accustomed to witnessing more Indian fans in the stands than the native supporters during a foreign game for India. While in India there is simply no match. These fans bring about a major portion of the BCCI’s balance sheets and also contribute into maintaining the brand image of the board in the advertising world. Cricketers like Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni charge Rs 8-10 crore a year for endorsements, which is largely due to the fact that cricket means eyeballs. This ecosystem sees money pouring in and the result is the BCCI’s numero uno status amongst the boards of cricket-playing nations. 3. Massive money from the TV rights Indian team celebrates after winning cricket world cup after 28 years. (© INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images) This can best be explained via an example: Over a period of 40 days from Oct 1 to Nov 10, 2014, Pakistan played Australia in a cricket series in different cities in the Persian gulf. These are two of the top teams in world cricket. The TV sponsorship that the PCB was able to negotiate for the entire 40-day tour was around 3 Million USD. Sony’s TV sponsorship for an IPL season which includes around 60 matches is roughly 180 Million USD i.e. each match goes for about 3 Million USD. Star India’s TV sponsorship deal for International cricket matches involving India and played in India works out to about 8 million USD per match. Look at that once again – a 40 day tour is worth the same as One match which lasts about 4 hours and is about 2/5th of One international match involving India. 4. BCCI’s monopoly Virat Kohli adds Rs 2.97 cr Audi R8 LMX, to his collection. (Photo Source: NDTV) A great degree of commerce also results from the fact that BCCI faces no competition with other market forces. In a country where most other sports struggle to make ends meet, the BCCI needs to be applauded for not only being self-sufficient but also for being one of the richest sports bodies in the world. The BCCI helps the ICC get lucrative sponsorship deals for the World events all credit to its clout and influence over the market. None of the players round the world have a brand value comparable to the Indian heavyweights. That helps the BCCI maintain its financial position in the world of advertising. 5. Jagmohan Dalmiya’s contribution (© Getty Images) The unanimous opinion among cricket experts for the board’s current financial standing is business acumen of Jagmohan Dalmiya. It was Dalmiya’s decision to open sports broadcasting to private channels in the country. This meant more money for the game and players. Dalmiya’s genius was not only in bringing private broadcasters on board, but in the timing too. He began this campaign when cricket started growing in popularity and by the late 1990s it was at its peak. He was instrumental in bringing the ICC Cricket World Cup to India in 1987 and then again in 1996, even though it was not the sub-continent’s turn.

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5 Reasons why BCCI is the richest Cricket Board

2. The Fans

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