| MUMBAI:
Taj Television, which owns and operates Ten Sports, will get $39 million out of
its load as rights fee to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) following the cancellation
of India's tour to Pakistan. Though
Sri Lanka filled up with three one-day internationals (ODIs) and one Test match
(the other was abandoned due to the terror attack), Taj TV had to pay just $1
million for the two-legged tour. "The
agreement with PCB allows Ten Sports to get a $40 million waiver in case the India
tour is off the calendar. The Sri Lanka replacement tour cost Ten Sports very
little," says a source familiar with the commercial contract terms.
Ten
Sports had agreed to pay $140 million for the production and telecast rights of
all international matches from Pakistan running from 2009 to 2013. A
reworked schedule is just not possible with the India team having a busy programme
for the rest of 2009, the source adds. India was to play three Tests, five ODIs
and one Twenty20 match in Pakistan. Ten
Sports had already worked out syndication deals with Fox Sports in Australia and
SuperSport in Africa. Peter
Hutton, who will take up the new role as COO on 1 May, believes Pakistan is still
a strong investment for Ten Sports despite doubts being raised on it as being
a host venue for international cricket due to security concerns.
"The
positive about Pakistan playing Australia in Dubai Sports City's new stadium is
that it gives guaranteed quality at a great time zone for india," he says. But
what about the India tour being blotted out from the calendar? "The Pakistan
board contract only commits us to pay for tours that actually happen. So the unfortunate
events of Lahore don't negatively impact us financially," says Hutton, while
refusing to divulge how much the India tour was as a value attached to the five-year
rights. Earlier,
while awarding the rights to Ten Sports late last year, PCB chief operating officer
Salim Altaf had clarified that the process of bidding "is based on optimum
situation, which is that all teams will tour Pakistan as per schedule and if teams
do not come to Pakistan we have the option of playing at the neutral venue."
Ten
Sports hopes that the neutral venue matches will make up for the tour losses that
Pakistan may suffer over security concerns. And rake in the moolah as a result,
making the PCB a hot cricketing property. | 
