'Fantastic news for everyone' - ICC on IPL media rights touching outstanding mark

The International Cricket Council (ICC), in reference to the media rights of the Indian Premier League (IPL) becoming second-most lucrative of all the sports leagues in the world, said that it is “fantastic news” for everybody to see the sport become so popular and strong. Another ICC official said that it was a good affirmation of where the market is.

Chief Commercial Officer of the ICC, Anurag Dahiya, said the cricket league has demonstrated that there is a huge appetite for rights, as he reckons that there are resources available to both successful and unsuccessful bidders in the process. 

“I think, more than anything, we’re delighted,” Sunil Manoharan, the vice president media rights of the ICC, was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. “Ultimately to see cricket is so popular and so strong in the strongest market in the world, it’s fantastic news for everyone.”

We’ve long felt that IPL values would be in that range: Anurag Dahiya

IPL, for the next cycle, in terms of media rights, will stand second only to America’s National Football League (NFL), overtaking England’s Premier League (PL), among all the sports leagues in the world. “We’ve long felt that IPL values would be in that range,” said Dahiya. “It wasn’t a surprise. It was a good affirmation of our sense of where the market is and the value of premier cricket rights in that market.”

“I think the IPL process has amply demonstrated that there is a huge appetite for rights,” added the Chief Commercial Officer. “Clearly there are resources available with both successful and unsuccessful bidders in that process.”

The ICC, on Monday, also sent out an Invitation to Tender (ITT) for its own rights for the cycle 2024-2031. Dahiya further said, “It’s only highlighted to the market that there is keen competition for these rights which is what we had always assumed going into these rights. The timing was deliberate – we wanted to do it in a particular sequence. So it’s going to plan.”

The media rights for the ICC events for the 2024-2031 cycle will be available in as many as six packages, for digital, TV, and both. The rights for the women’s events will be sold separately from the men’s events. The men’s events are available to bid for four or eight-year terms while women’s events can be bid for four-year terms only.