Sony-WSG to net Rs 380 cr from IPL

Sony Entertainment Television India and sports marketing and management agency World Sports Group (WSG), the official broadcasters for BCCI's DLF Indian Premier League are smiling their way to the cricket field.

The consortium which paid BCCI $60 million (Rs 240 crore) as the telecast rights fee for the first season of the Twenty 20 league has already recovered its money.

Sony-WSG will together earn around Rs 380 crore (Rs 3.8 billion) worldwide from the league, which starts on April 18. Sony Max - Sony's channel that will air the matches - has merely 200 seconds of the 2000 seconds to be sold in every match.

Rohit Gupta, President (network sales, licensing and telephony), Sony Entertainment Television India, is confident of selling the remaining inventory, consisting of 11,800 seconds across 59 matches, at a premium.

"The spot buys will be sold for around Rs 250,000-300,000 for a ten-second spot," said Gupta.

Telecom service provider Vodafone has grabbed the on-air presenting sponsorship for Rs 25-30 crore (Rs 250-300 million).

The associate sponsors on board are Godrej, Hyundai, Coca-Cola and Max New York, who reportedly paid around Rs 18-22 crore each (Rs 180-220 million). Standard Chartered Bank would handle the action replay and is said to have paid around Rs 11 crore (Rs 110 million).

Sony is exploring the Indian subcontinent, while WSG is catering to the international market.

Venu Nair, President (South Asia), WSG said, "DLF Indian Premier League has received a favourable response, on par with global cricketing events. Riding on the league's global licensing deal in the first 5 years, we would be able to recover our investments committed to BCCI-IPL."

The consortium won the telecast rights for the Twenty20 league for $1.03 billion (around Rs 4,120 crore), including $108 million (nearly Rs 432 crore) towards compulsory promotional spends for a period of 10 years.

The matches will be telecast across America, Canada, the UK, Ireland, West Asia, South Africa, Europe, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand.

The games will be streamed live from the official league website in areas where broadcasting is not permitted.