DD mops up Rs 100 cr on cricket

Prasar Bharati has mopped up close to Rs 100 crore (one billion) as advertising revenue for 31 days' telecast of India's Test matches with Australia and South Africa and an ODI with Pakistan.

Sources in the industry said the public broadcaster, which bagged the telecast rights for Rs 100 crore from the Board of Control for Cricket in India, has been able to market India's matches "pretty well", which has seen it mop up the amount in a short span of just two days.

The public broadcaster has secured this amount without selling the entire advertising space.

When contacted, Prasar Bharati's Director, Marketing, Vijaya Laxmi Chhabra refused to confirm the figures, but admitted that the response from advertisers was "very good".

A ten-second advertising space for a Test match on the National Network is up for Rs 40,000 while the same on DD Sports it is for Rs 50,000.

"It is more on the sports channel as it is a satellite channel and there is a separate class of companies that are willing to pay more for advertising on it," she said.

The main sponsors of the matches are Indian Oil, TVS and HLL while associate sponsors include Hutch, Onida and Pepsi.