CHENNAI: There was no official confirmation, but the Indian cricket fraternity was suddenly abuzz on Thursday with talks of a possible government directive to allow Doordarshan to beam IPL matches live. Details were not out, but with STAR having bought the rights for over Rs 16,000 crore for five years, news of anybody else telecasting the event is bound to ruffle feathers.
Among those to have denied knowledge of such a development were Vinod Rai, the chief of the committee of administrators running the BCCI, and STAR officials. However, sources in the IPL governing council said that the Information and Broadcasting ministry is expected to send this order.
“We have received some communication from the I&B Ministry, but we are still awaiting full details. If at all the event is broadcast on Doordarshan, it is only going to increase the popularity of the event and it would have more reach. We have no issues with it. But it is over to STAR Sports now as they are the ones to get affected, having bid Rs16,000 crore for the IPL,” an official in the know said.
At this stage it looks highly unlikely that STAR would agree to this move, after having paid such a huge sum, unseen in the cricketing world.
Though STAR allows the state-run broadcaster to telecast matches involving the Indian team because national interest involved, the IPL is a different story. It’s a different entity altogether, with the BCCI paying entertainment tax in certain states to host these matches.
“We have not heard anything from any quarter. So no point in reacting to this news as yet. But it’s obvious that we hold sole rights for IPL, which can’t be shared,” said a STAR official.
“The angle of national interest comes into effect only when the Indian team plays bilateral matches in India. We do share feed with DD for these matches. But the IPL is a private league for which we have the sole right. It’s difficult to understand why even there is talk of sharing this feed with competitors.”
As of now STAR hasn’t received any communication on this and in case sharing of feed is made mandatory, they always have the right to call for judicial intervention.
“If DD starts getting revenue from beaming IPL matches, STAR will certainly not agree as it would eat into their share. However, the BCCI will have nothing to do with it,” said BCCI sources.
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