The Hindu Business Line : BCCI pitches for revenue play — Drive to focus on telecast rights, sponsorships, merchandise licensing

MAXIMISING revenues is top priority for the newly-constituted Marketing Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) - be it through sale of television rights, signing up new team sponsors, awarding official supplier rights and licensing of merchandise.

Speaking to newspersons on the controversial telecast rights issue, Mr N. Srinivasan, Treasurer, BCCI, said, "We are planning to float a fresh tender with new eligibility conditions. The Board will approach the Court for cancellation of the present tender."

While the Board will grant the terrestrial signals to Prasar Bharati, the national broadcaster will have to encrypt the signals. The satellite rights will be sold separately and these will not include rights for direct-to-home (DTH), Internet, video and mobile telephony. On the proposed BCCI channel, Mr Srinivasan said the issue was discussed on Thursday.Mr Lalit Modi, Vice-President, BCCI, added that radio rights would be given to All India Radio on a non-exclusive basis for its national channel free of cost. "However, the BCCI will seek bids from FM radio - to be sold separately to each city taking into account language requirements and satellite radio. The rights for voice over IP and radio telephony will be awarded on a tour-to-tour basis."

The Board is also planning to generate revenues from broadband rights. "The revenue potential from MMS, SMS, video imagery and gaming is expected to grow exponentially. The platform also provides an opportunity to BCCI to directly interface with consumers," Mr Modi said.

Fresh tenders will be called for awarding the team sponsorship, which entails sponsors branding on the chest and leading arm of the player's shirts.Tenders will be floated on December 12, 2005 and opened on December 19, 2005. While there will be a single sponsor for all matches played in India and abroad, for the ICC tournaments, care will be taken to avoid conflict of interest with its existing tournament sponsors — LG, Pepsi, Hero Honda, Hutch, IndianOil and Cable & Wireless.

Currently Sahara is the team sponsor and the Group is expected to participate in the latest bidding process. "Sahara does not have the first right of refusal or the right to match the highest bidder," he said.While tobacco and liquor companies would not be permitted to bid, industry sources said that Hero Honda and Videocon were keen.

For the first time bids will be invited for team kit sponsorship, which will be open to all apparel manufacturers and retailers. This sponsor will get branding in the non-leading arm of the players' shirts. The Board will also have official time-keepers, airline, hotels, official transportation partner, and so on.

Also, merchandising of apparel, accessories, cricketing gear and equipment and other novelty items is on the cards. With all these measures, the Board is hoping to increase its revenues manifold, but for now, it is not willing to divulge any numbers.

On corporatisation of the Board, Mr Modi said talks had been initiated with Tata Consultancy Services.

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