Reports: Doordarshan to broadcast IPL next year

If recent reports are to be believed, we may well see the Indian Premier League being aired in Doordarshan. The Indian Broadcast and Sports Ministry may likely issue a directive to the BCCI regarding the same. This may propel the IPL to be telecast on Doordarshan as well.

The I & B Ministry is reportedly working on the same before putting forward the deal with BCCI as reported by Republic World. Ever since the Indian Premier League has commenced, it has been broadcast on private channels. While SONY had the deal for almost a decade, STAR acquired the rights this year.

Hence, the prospect of airing it in Doordarshan which is a national channel is doubtful to go down well with a private organisation like STAR. While it may help in reaching out to a wider audience, it’s important to note that STAR acquired the rights for a whopping amount.

Earlier in an auction this year, Star India acquired the worldwide broadcasting rights for TV and digital media for a stunning INR 16,347.50 crores that too with a single bid. It gained these rights for a time period of five years spanning from 2018 to 2022.

The second highest bid was made by Sony, who bid INR 11,050 crores, for the rights. However, Sony’s bid was only for broadcasting in India while Star’s bid was for global broadcast. Star also has rights of all the international matches featuring the Indian Cricket Team.

It’s going to be interesting if the BCCI agrees to the proposal. While it may likely lead to broadcaster STAR’s intervention, the prospect of watching IPL on Doordarshan is interesting. Over the years, we’ve seen various Indian games being telecast on Doordarshan. Hence, it may not be unfriendly for the audience to watch cricket on the channel.