Facebook now trying to cash on BCCI's biggest property, the Indian Premier League

[rahul1117kumar]

Mark Zuckerberg-owned social networking behemoth Facebook is the latest social media titan to join the race for the media rights of BCCI's biggest property, the Indian Premier League. Twitter has already evinced interest in IPL's digital rights.

BCCI sources confirmed to ET that Facebook has picked up the IPL tender and is most likely to bid for the digital rights of the league. A Facebook spokesperson, however, said: "We don't comment on rumours and speculation."

Earlier this year, Facebook had streamed Premier Futsal on its video platform Facebook Live. In August, it streamed Wayne Rooney's testimonial match between Manchester United and Everton. It also allowed fans to chat with other fans, send wishes to Wayne, and learn how to donate to his foundation. In the summers, Facebook streamed nine USA Basketball exhibition games live.

"We're focused on helping our partners experiment with a variety of Live content types — from 'behind the scenes' access to first-person athlete Q&As to live games. We have seen great results when we have streamed games live — and continue to be interested in testing the viability of this content on Facebook," the spokesperson added. "We will continue to work with our partners to find the best ways to connect their content to the world's largest community of sports fans."

Interestingly, Facebook has been seeing a jump in conversations during IPL year-on-year. During IPL 2016, Facebook said that the league drove the highest level of conversation it has measured for any IPL season — 360 million posts, comments and likes.

Facebook pages of the IPL and eight teams totalled over 140 million video views during the season. Also, during the 50-day tournament, the IPL's Facebook page added over two million new fans touching 18.3 million subscribers.

Facebook will join the likes of Amazon, Twitter, Reliance Jio, Times Internet and broadcasters like Star India and Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN). ET was first to report that Twitter has also joined the race, hinting at a very competitive bidding for the digital rights.

Facebook now trying to cash on BCCI's biggest property, the Indian Premier League | ET Telecom

 

[Raja]

Very much unlikely to win as BCCI took a biased decision yet again.

"Bundled Bids"
What it implies is that if a single bidder quotes higher than the sum of all individual bidders globally, that bidder will walk away with all the rights

 

[iSK]

MUMBAI: Social media giant Facebook has joined the list of elephants who have shown interest in lapping up the digital rights for the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Facebook has bought the tender document for the IPL, sources said. The documents for IPL are priced at $10,000.

With Facebook picking up the IPL tender document, indications are that digital rights for the cash-rich T20 League could see frenzy bids. The television telecast rights will be fiercely fought between Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) and Star India.

New players are set to join the race for the digital rights. Twitter, Amazon and Mukesh Ambani-controlled Reliance Jio Infocomm have purchased the IPL tender document and may bid for the digital rights.

Sports is not new to Facebook. The social networking giant had earlier this year streamed all matches of the Hero Caribbean Premier League on its video platform Facebook Live. It also streamed Premier Futsal on Facebook Live. The social networking giant offers a variety of live content, including live games.

The interest in the digital rights springs from the fact that the IPL has boosted traffic for not just Twitter but also Facebook.

As reported earlier by TelevisionPost.com, Reliance Jio Infocomm may bid for the digital rights but not not look at the TV rights. Ambani has a presence in the television business through TV18 Broadcast while his ambitious project Reliance Jio has crossed 16 million customers within a month of its launch on 5 September.

Broadcasters Sony and Star will also bid for the new cycle of digital rights for the IPL. While SPNI owns Sony Liv, Star India runs Hotstar. Speculation is that the Chinese telecom companies would form a consortium to bid for the IPL rights. Incidentally, GroupM has bought the tender document for the IPL.

The BCCI has kept the TV rights tenure for the Indian subcontinent 10 years, while the international and digital rights are for a five-year period. Currently, the Indian subcontinent TV rights are with Sony. The Indian subcontinent digital rights along with TV rights of certain international territories are with Star India-owned Novi Digital, which runs VoD service Hotstar.

Sony’s new deal with the BCCI, which was signed in 2009, was worth over Rs 8,200 crore (Rs 82 billion). Novi had bagged certain media rights for Rs 302 crore (Rs 3.02 billion).

The BCCI has divided the invitation to tender (ITT) process into three rights packages—Indian subcontinent TV rights; Indian subcontinent digital rights; and rest of the world TV and digital rights.

The last day for submission of bid is 25 October, 9.30 am. The new rights cycle will come into effect after the 2017 edition of the IPL.

IPL attracts new players for digital rights, Facebook buys tender document | TelevisionPost.com