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The tender covers the tours by Australia and South Africa in 2004
and by the West Indies in 2005. The tender also includes tours by
Bangladesh, Pakistan and South Africa in 2006.
According to the document, a copy of which is with indiantelevision.com,
five companies are in the running for the rights. They are PCM Sports
(an Indian event management company), SET Satellite Singapore, Taj
Television (which operates Ten Sports), TWI and World Sport Nimbus.
The rights on offer are for all television, radio and sponsorship
rights for the six tours mentioned above. The succesful company
is also obligated to produce the games and provide a feed free of
charge to Sri Lankan state broadcaster Rupavahini for all six events
and to Ten Sports for the first two events. The deadline for submision
of the bids is 27 December.
For those who came in late, there was a three way tussle involving
Sri Lanka's cricket board, Taj Television and World Sport Nimbus
(WSN) as to who had held the broadcast rights till 2004 and a hearing
to this effect was going on in Singapore. The exact terms of the
deal that have been reached as far as the 2004 tours by South Africa
and Australia are concerned are as follows:
As per the agreement with Taj, "Territory (for which Taj holds
broadcast rights) shall mean the whole of Asia (excluding terrestrial
broadcast in Sri Lanka), Middle East and Europe (excluding England)
and excluding Australia in the case of the Australian tours and
South Africa in the case of the South African tours, only."
With regard to the 2005 and 2006 tours, "Territory" means outside
Sri Lanka, excluding the North American market for broadband / wireless
rights.
The tender mentions that the party should specify the quality of
production it intends to provide. The winning party has to provide
an irrevocable unconditional bank guarantee on a tour by tour basis.
In addition to the above mentioned tours Sri Lanka Cricket is also
holding dialogue with the Indian Cricket Board for Saurav's boys
to tour the island anytime from 2004- December 2006. The winning
bidder will have the first rights of refusal should India agree.
The tender has explained that sponsorship rights will include title
sponsorship, 50 ground runners, boundary line tape and commercial
rights that will rise out of related promotional, merchandising
and licensing opportunities.
Sri Lanka Cricket has further stressed that should a tour get affected
by factors beyond its control such as riots, it will not be liable
for default on complying with the offer agreed upon. All in all
it looks a great deal because the only weak team visiting the island
is Bangladesh. First up though are Australia who travel in February
for three tests matches and five ODIs.
Also Read:
SET
also in fray for Lankan cricket rights
TV
rights for Sri Lankan cricket open from next year
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