Disney, Sony in pursuit to get IPL broadcasting rights

• Media giants are battling to get IPL broadcasting rights.
• Amazon withdraws from e-auction.
• Mukesh Ambani is also interested in bidding.

According to reports, global media titans including Disney and Sony and Asia’s richest man competed on Sunday for the broadcast rights to the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament, one of the most-watched sporting events in the world.

Analysts predicted that the winning bidders in an online auction organized by India’s cricket board on Sunday would spend up to $7.7 billion to broadcast and stream the two-month tournament for five seasons from 2023 to 2027.

Read more: Amazon pulls from race for IPL media rights for the 2023-27 season

This amount dwarfs the $2.55 billion that Disney-owned Star India paid for the previous five-year pact, which concluded last month with the 15th edition of the league with 10 franchises playing 74 matches.

The league has helped make Twenty20, a shorter and more entertaining version of cricket, very popular, spawning copycat tournaments worldwide.

This time around, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is offering four distinct packages, including domestic and international television and internet streaming rights, as well as unique match rights.

Read more: Ashish Nehra one of best tactical coaches in IPL: Gary Kirsten

In addition to Disney and Sony, a consortium comprised of Viacom and Reliance, owned by Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, is reportedly bidding in the auction, which is expected to last through Monday.

Amazon, which has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on rights for European soccer and American football and had previously expressed interest in the IPL, withdrew from the competition on Friday, according to sources.