Ultimately, the prize is also about bragging rights in India’s e-commerce market. Armed with inexpensive smartphones and availing themselves to one of the world’s lowest data tariffs, nearly 800 million Indians have internet access to watch Bollywood movies and live stream sports on their personal devices. The Indian Premier League, or IPL, is one of the world’s most watched sporting tournaments, comprising 10 teams and over 70 matches.
Separating broadcast rights and digital streaming opens the door to new bidders. Amazon, with its Prime video service, can face off in the e-auction against Reliance’s Jio telecom subsidiary, which has nearly half a billion subscribers in India. Unlike in the past, no consolidated bidding will be allowed.
Representatives for Amazon and Reliance did not respond to emails for comment. Disney Hotstar, which currently holds digital streaming rights for the matches, would not confirm its participation in the auction. Others, including Meta Platforms Inc.’s Facebook and Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube, are still considering whether to place bids, multiple people said.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India, the sport’s governing body, has released detailed terms and conditions in its “Invitation to Tender.” According to the board, the document will be available to purchase in the coming weeks to those who pay a non-refundable fee of 2.5 million rupees plus taxes.
--With assistance from P R Sanjai, Anirban Nag and Jeanette Rodrigues.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.