The SBD Global staff compiled the top sports business stories for ‘14 by region. India saw the launch of its newest football league, the Indian Super League, Singapore emerged as a contender for Asia’s sports capital with the opening of the Singapore Sports Hub, the Int’l Cricket Council underwent a controversial structural revamp and the Qatar 2022 World Cup continued to stir debate over which dates to host the tournament.
INDIAN FOOTBALL: After a delayed start, the ISL -- an IMG-Reliance joint venture -- kicked off its inaugural season in October. The new eight-team football league drew interest from several high-profile Indian celebrities and athletes that included former cricket player Sachin Tendulkar and Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, who signed on as franchise owners. The league, marketed as the catalyst to bring forth a new era of football on the subcontinent, also attracted int’l players and coaches including former Italy and A-League club Sydney FC player Alessandro Del Piero and former Brazil player Zico. Despite negative feedback from some I-League owners who claimed the league’s format would harm the development of football in India and steal the I-League’s spotlight, All India Football Federation VP Subrata Dutta endorsed the ISL, saying the two leagues could co-exist. Official broadcaster Star India recorded 170 million viewers in its opening week. The December semifinal between Chennaiyin and Kerala Blasters netted 1.1 million online video views, the highest in India for any single sporting event.
SPORTS HUB: The completion and opening of the $1B Singapore Sports Hub attracted int’l attention throughout the year. Built on the former site of the Singapore National Stadium, the new facility’s ability to host cricket, football, athletics and aquatics events drew fear from Hong Kong, which viewed the Hub as a threat to its position as Asia’s sporting capital. The facility hosted its first major sporting event in June when the rugby World Cup 10s was staged in Singapore. In August, the Singapore national team played Juventus in the stadium’s first football match. The Sports Hub attracted sponsorship deals from broadcaster StarHub, OCBC Bank, Great Eastern and drinks brand 100Plus.
THE BIG THREE: At the beginning of the year, the ICC proposed a structural revamp that divided the majority of the governing body’s decision-making powers between the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Cricket Australia and the England & Wales Cricket Board. The change in the ICC’s revenue distribution model meant that the BCCI, CA and ECB would receive a larger portion of the ICC’s earnings. The proposal recommended the BCCI would receive a maximum allotment of 21% of the ICC's revenues as long as Indian cricket generates 80% of the ICC's int’l revenue. Sri Lanka and Pakistan were both against the changes, saying it gives too much power to India, England and Australia. For India, the revamp could mean an additional $2.5M in BCCI revenue.
WORLD CUP WOES: Amid allegations of labor rights violations and an investigation into bid corruption claims, the Qatar 2022 World Cup continued to spark debate over when to host the tournament due to the host country’s searing summer temperatures. November talks at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich revealed support for a November and December or January and February tournament, despite strong opposition from the European Club Association. The ECA favored a May and June tournament, proposing evening games to avoid extreme temperatures. IOC President Thomas Bach said that FIFA President Sepp Blatter pledged there would be no overlapping of World Cup and Olympic events, saying, "I have no reason not to believe (him). He made it very clear that a clash of these two great events is in nobody's interest."
