indian tv rights

[pak_all_the_way]

from bbc

The Supreme Court in Delhi has rejected an appeal by a media group against a decision to deny them TV rights for home matches played by the Indian team.
The Zee Network were awarded a four-year contract last September, which would have cost them £172m.

But the Indian cricket board (BCCI) later reversed the decision, prompting Zee to begin legal action.

Their appeal was rejected by a 3-2 majority and the BCCI is now clear to begin a new bidding process.

The row at one stage threatened to bring about the cancellation of last year's home series against Australia.

But the BCCI salvaged it by agreeing a last-minute £12.1 deal with the state-run broadcaster Doordarshan.


Former BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya agreed the initial deal

The decision to deny Zee the contract followed a challenge from rival bidder ESPN-STAR Sports.

Both offered £172m - almost six times the value of the previous four-year contract - but Zee's higher initial bid of £146m gave them the edge.

"We had won the bid fair and square," company chairman Subhash Chandra claimed.

At the time of the initial award, the Times of India claimed Zee stood to make a £112m profit at the end of the four-year period.

The company claimed the BCCI were guilty of violating their fundamental rights by not nonouring the agreement and were supported in their action by the Sports Ministry.

Zee's argument was based on the premise that the board should be regarded as state-run because their position was a result of official government recognition.

But the Supreme Court ruled that the BCCI was an autonomous body and that any control exercised by the government was only regulatory.

International cricket in India attracts huge TV audiences and the figures are likely to be better than ever when Pakistan play three Tests and five one-day internationals in February and March, their first full tour since 1999.


does this mean ZEE have got them?

[Rudi hater]

Hope not, come on sky sport grab them.

[Fessal]

ZEE havent got them:
.................................................. .....

Supreme Court dismisses Zee's petition

Cricinfo staff

February 2, 2005

The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition filed by Zee Telefilms contesting the manner in which the Indian board cancelled the telecast rights after awarding them to Zee. In its verdict, the court announced that the BCCI could not be called a state, according to the definition of the term in the Indian constitution, nor could a writ petition be filed against it for violation of fundamental rights.

According to a report by Press Trust of India, the court ruled that while some element of public duty was involved in selecting the Indian team, it wasn't enough make the BCCI a state. "The Indian government had failed to prove that it has given de facto recognition to the cricket board for discharging these functions. In the absence of any such authorisation, if a private board discharges these functions, it would be not proper for the court to hold the same body as an instrumentality of the state."

The court also pointed out that if the cricket board was termed a state, then all other sports bodies would also need to be declared a state. "The board cannot be singly identified as a state for the purpose of Article 12," the bench observed, saying that it would be in violation of the right to equality. The five-member bench passed its verdict by a 3:2 majority.

However, the court also stated that any complaints against the BCCI could still be made to the High Court under article 226, which had a much wider scope and wasn't restricted only to bodies which could be classified states.

The BCCI had earlier agreed to a $308 million, four-deal with Zee for the telecast of all matches in India, but it reversed its decision after being challenged in court by ESPN Star Sports, who had bid unsuccessfully for the deal. The BCCI then went to grant the telecast rights for the India-Australia series to Sony. Zee had contested both these decisions in the Supreme Court.

© Cricinfo

[Fessal]

Indian TV rights under new bidding will again be between mainly: star/espn, zee, sony and doordarshan (who can sho the home matches anyway being national broadcaster).

If it goes to star/espn the the UK rights will most likley go to sky tv as star is likley to favour there parent company. It may not work like that though as indian rights for different countries may still have to be purchased by BCCI and not ain rights holder in India. I dont know really.

[Fawad]

Just hope that SETANTA doesn't get the rights :?d

[waquas_uk]

if sony or zee get it they will charge like 50 quid 4 the 2 months

[Toony™®]

better be sky

[suhaib]

sony will charge the same,

[Rob H]

Hope it's on Sky, but i feel setenta will get it some how or another

[Bailan]

what about ARY ... how can you forget them in your list of awsome service providers?

[Fessal]

ARY are unlikley to get UK rights for Indian cricket unless they bid really high and have an attractive package. I doubt they will do this as there main interest in UK is for Pak matches but you never know.

All the channels like Sony, Zee and Sky cost around £60 for 2 months for watching cricket. If ARY get it then it would be around £30 to £40 for 2 months.

[Fessal]

If seteanta get it then that will be the worst because then we would be ripped off completley and py much more than the others and less value for money.

BTW, does anyone know if the Setanta CHannel on NTL would show it if they got the rights because Setanta have 2 PPV channels on Sky as well as 2 normal channels??? Did they show the one ooff oDI in Nov v India on NTL/Telewest setanta channel??