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MUMBAI:
ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has bagged the ten-year rights for
the Champions League Twenty20 with a bid of $900 million and
an assured spend of $75 million towards marketing the tournament,
making it the highest value cricket tournament on a per game
basis.
DIC
was next in contention with a bid of $751.3 million, marginally
higher than the floor price fixed at $750 million. Abu Dhabi
Sports Club's was disqualified for being a conditional one.
ESS'
global rights until 2017 are all-inclusive including TV telecast,
sponsorship, mobile and new media.
"The
commercial rights were won by ESS with a bid of $975 million
(including $75 million for marketing the tournament),"
the organisers said in a statement.
Commenting
on the bids which were opened in Dubai, Indian Premier League
chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi said: "We are absolutely
delighted that after a fair and transparent process, we have
what we believe to be the best commercial deal for the inaugural
Champions League Twenty20 season and for cricket fans across
the world. All the bids received were of a very high standard."
The
win is important for ESS given that in an interview to a business
news channel during his recent India visit, News Corp. chairman
Rupert Murdoch said that it was a miscalculation in not getting
the IPL rights.
"We're
extremely pleased at having won the Global Commercial Rights
to the new and exciting Champions League Twenty20. This is
a testament to our commitment to the game of cricket and fans
as we cement our relationship with the BCCI, Cricket Australia
and Cricket South Africa. Through our television channels
(ESPN, Star Sports and Star Cricket), our website www.espnstar.com,
and our wireless platforms mobileESPN and Star Sports Mobile,
we are confident of taking the Champions League Twenty20 to
new heights," said ESS managing director Manu Sawhney.
The
inaugural Champions T20 event takes place from 3-10 December.
The rescheduling was because of the Champions Trophy, which
was subsequently postponed.
ESS also has the rights for ICC cricket which were bagged
last year for $1.1 billion. The Champions T20 League rights
are important for ESS given that the Champions Trophy was
postponed to next year due to security concerns.
Eight
teams, consisting of the reigning winners and runners-up from
the domestic Twenty20 competitions in India, Australia and
South Africa, plus the reigning Twenty20 champion Sialkot
from Pakistan, and the reigning Twenty20 Cup champion from
England, Middlesex, have been invited to contest the 2008
Champions League Twenty20.
The
tournament will be contested by 12 teams in year two between
September 25 and October 10, 2009.
The
prize money of $6 million will be shared between the teams
and their players.
The Sony-WSG combine had earlier bagged the ten-year IPL rights
for $1.03 billion.
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