Auction heroes ipl media rights sale puts the league right up there globally good for cricket everywhere

Auction heroes ipl media rights sale puts the league right up there globally good for cricket everywhere

IPL media rights e-auction for the 2023-27 cycle not only netted BCCI a bonanza, it has also reconfirmed the league’s superpower status in world cricket and, in a broader sense, is a testament to the market power of Indians and Indians abroad. Across four buckets covering both TV and digital in the Indian subcontinent and rest of the world, the media rights were sold for Rs 48,390 crore.

BCCI deserves full credit for playing the auction game well. Many had doubts about the valuation, thanks to after-effects of the pandemic. But a successful IPL season this year, which saw the addition of two new franchises, and BCCI’s skilful leveraging of digital viewership two seasons before that when Covid emptied stadiums, ensured brand IPL did not suffer. In fact, the media rights auction showed IPL is now a global leader in terms of sports commerce. IPL’s per match valuation is Rs 118 crore. By that metric, it now ranks globally second, after America’s NFL, and is ahead of the English Premier League.

Plus, IPL today has not just emerged as a conveyor belt of cricketing talent for Team India, but also an arena where international players are tested and given an opportunity to hone their skills. England international Jonny Bairstow attested to this recently when he credited his stint in the IPL for his astonishing performance against New Zealand at the Trent Bridge Test that secured the English side a five-wicket victory. BCCI must use revenues generated through IPL wisely: spending more on women’s cricket, giving better domestic match fees, creating more talent incubators especially in regions like the Northeast. Money isn’t a problem.