CHENNAI: If the Supreme Court doesn’t deem otherwise, the BCCI will go ahead with awarding IPL media rights for five years starting 2018 on August 28. Tenders had been invited on July 21 and the last date of submission is August 24. Auditors Deloitte and legal firm Amarchand Mangaldas will scrutinise the tenders.
This is subject to a hearing slated for August 22, on BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy’s petition that the tender process be handled through e-auctioning, for transparency. The court has heard his plea and asked the BCCI and CoA to file replies. The process being followed has the approval of the CoA, a body formed by the apex court.
Awarding of IPL media rights is a big event considering the presence of prominent names like Reliance Jio, Facebook, Twitter, Star India and Sony Pictures among the 20 who have picked up tender papers. The amount paid by Sony for the first 10 years was Rs 8200 crore. The BCCI expects it to be in the region of Rs 20,000 crore for the next five years.
The BCCI has argued that e-auction allows competitors to see how much others have quoted and hence, there is a chance of the highest bidder not quoting as much as they might have. This, say BCCI sources, works against profit maximisation.
To make the process transparent, the BCCI has promised that representatives of all bidders will be invited when the tenders are opened. Documents will be scrutinised by audit firm Deloitte, while lawyers from Amarchand Mangaldas will be there for clarification on legal technicalities. Members of the CoA are also expected to be present, along with BCCI officials. After opening tenders, figures will be announced to the bidders before awarding the right to the highest bidder.
“That’s why Deloitte (a company that has conducted audit of the BCCI state units and recommended a funds-disbursement model) is in the picture. Sealed bid documents will be opened in front of everyone and after that, representatives of Deloitte will tell what the bids are so that no questions are raised,” BCCI sources handling the matter told Express.
IPL media rights 2018-2022
Bidders so far: Star India, Amazon Seller Services, Followon Interactive Media, Taj TV India, Sony Pictures Networks, Times Internet, Supersport International, Reliance Jio Digital Services, Gulf DTH FZ LLC, Group M Media India, beIN IP, Econet Media, Sky UK, ESPN Digital Media, BTG Legal Services, BT PLC, Twitter Inc, Facebook Inc, Discovery, YuppTV.
Last date: Aug 24 SC hearing: Aug 22
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