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Will the Board of Control for Cricket in India launch a 24-hour pay channel exclusively for cricket?
Yes, if it decides to act on a study that recommends such a move. This study was presented to the BCCI on Tuesday.
I S Bindra, president of Punjab Cricket Association, and Lalit Modi, president of Rajasthan Cricket Association, released a feasibility study on a BCCI cricket channel on Wednesday, saying that an exclusive cricket channel has the potential to ring in revenues of over Rs 16,000 crore (Rs 160 billion) in five years for the BCCI.
This, they said, is 12 times more than what BCCI could hope to earn in the same period. The study said that the exclusive broadcast rights will be shared with Doordarshan.
According to the study, the channel could air at least 29 international test matches, 43 one-day internationals, over 118 days of domestic cricket, and at least 56 district level round robin league matches.
This not only translates into higher revenues, but also more training schools, more cricket grounds and better infrastructure in India.
The report went on to give a detailed overview of the channel's role in promoting cricket, including benefits to various state cricket associations.
Bindra and Modi are of the view that such a move will create a valuable brand that can be leveraged for multiple streams of business and revenues beyond mere trading of broadcast rights.
BCCI's increased revenues will also benefit existing and new cricketers, as their share of revenues will also see a parallel twelve fold increase.
The revenues thus garnered can be used to fund and sustain infrastructure and capacity building across India right up to the grassroot levels.
Modi said in a media statement: "As an exhaustive study of how BCCI stands to gain from the launch of a TV channel, this report presents the proposed channel as the tool the BCCI can wield to generate huge revenues to create the much needed infrastructure in a self- sustainable manner."
"We hope the BCCI will review this with the same passion that all Indians have for cricket, and therefore take the best step forward that, in the long run, will better the game of this country," said Bindra.
Highlights of the report