MUMBAI: With the World Cup mania rising, the scramble for the advertising buck by sales people across channels is going to intensify. The folks who decide which of the channels get how much of the ad cake, media planners and buyers, are also going to increasingly become the centre of attention.

The stakes are high: around Rs 3 billion is likely to be splurged on the World Cup. Some advertisers and media buyers and  planners are planning to wait until the last minute and pick up commercial time cheap when the channels start panicking and drop prices to get rid of their inventory. Others are buying in early in order to get the best positions and fits for their brands. While a third lot are simply taking a position to stay off the World Cup and the clutter that may actually crop up.

Indiantelevision.com is doing its bit to give media planners and buyers and brand custodians a peek at what deals are being struck and becoming unstuck in the run up to the World Cup. Our gossip monger Inside Dope will be on the field speaking to all the constituents in the business to give you snippets and juicy titbits of the goings-on behind the scenes around the World Cup. Remember Inside Dope's gossip is what it is - gossip with a capital G.

You can use it as an indicator of what is going on - do your own investigations too. indiantelevision.com will not be held responsible for any decisions you take, based on the items we feature here.

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* The actual buys during the World Cup match telecasts on MAX and DD are expected to be between Rs 2.5-3 billion, said a senior media buyer who was feeling very conservative when Inside Dope caught up with him.

* One group in the media industry believes that MAX is working towards a target of Rs 3.5 billion. Savvy media planners feel that MAX should realistically look at around Rs 2-2.25 billion of gross airtime sales.

* A third bunch in the media pack suggests that if each match has around 4500 seconds as FCT; at a break even cost of US$6500 per 30 seconds, MAX stands to gross around Rs 2.6 billion.

* So far, around Rs 1 billion worth of airtime / sponsorships have been sold by MAX. And it has sold almost 40 per cent of its inventory. Unless it panics, it can get to a figure of around Rs 2.5-3 billion.

* It is believed that Nimbus has already tied up 70 percent of its targets during the pre-sales mapping. It expected to tie-up the remaining within a week of its gala function where the original World Cup trophy was showcased.

* Nimbus has boasted that it will garner Rs 2.1 billion or roughly 60 percent of its estimate of Rs 3.5 billion ad spend around the World Cup.

* Pro-Nimbus-DD simpleton media planners feel that MAX will garner only Rs 1.7 billion of the total World Cup ad spend. The calculation is based on the fact that MAX had garnered Rs 0.46 billion during the Champions Trophy involving 15 matches. This works out to Rs 37 million per match. For 54 matches at Rs 37 million per match, MAX's revenues should land in the region of Rs 1.7 billion.

That's all from Inside Dope on World Cup Media Gossip for now. Don't forget to log in everyday to get updated. Remember Inside Dope da Jawab Nahin!