Reports: Sony Sports Network retain SLC media rights for next four years
According to reports, the amount of the deal is less than the value of the previous cycle
The global media right of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has been retained by Sony Sports as they won a bidding war against Disney Star for a four-year deal which starts from April 2023. There were no other rivals in the auction which concluded on March 1. According to reports, Viacom 18 pondered about entering the auction but gave up the idea.
Although the accurate value of the deal has not yet been disclosed, it is anticipated to be less than the previous cycle's sum, which was near to $ 23 million. The reason behind the decreased value of the deal is due to the lesser number of India matches which determines the value of a cricket property globally, including the International Cricket Council (ICC) games.
According to a report in Cricbuzz, there are only eight games taking place in India in the upcoming four-year cycle between 2023-2027, which are three T20Is and three ODIs in 2024 and two Tests in 2026.
However, SLC has said that about six more India games will be added at some stage in the next four years which will also increase the value of the deal. Sri Lanka will be playing a total of 56 home international matches in the next Future Tours Program (FTP).
The report further stated that an SLC official refused to confirm or deny the decision saying that the announcement will be made after the legal team goes through all the documents.
BCCI and PCB to also release tender in upcoming months
The official further disclosed that in the upcoming weeks, the SLC will start offering the rights for the domestic market and production services.
Along with the SLC, two other major boards will also enter the market to sell their rights. While one of them is the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the other one is Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Given that it is one of the largest properties in the world, even larger than the ICC's, the BCCI tender, which will be released in the coming months, is the most sought-after in the industry.
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