The Board of Control for Cricket In India "is poised for a bumper windfall" of at least $80.3M as the "coveted" national team sponsorship rights are up for sale, according to ASIA SPONSORSHIP NEWS. The five-year deal is expected to involve 259 matches, including 238 bilateral matches and 21 across Int'l Cricket Council tournaments -- the ICC Champions Trophy in June, the 2019 ICC World Cup, 2020 ICC World T20, and 2021 ICC Champions Trophy. BCCI has set approximately $33,000 as the base price for bilateral matches, while for ICC tournaments the base price is set at $10,500. Even "at the most conservative scenario," the BCCI will earn at least an estimated $78.1M from bilateral matches and $2.2M from ICC properties, totaling $80.3M. Going by the BCCI’s "past record and the national team’s stellar performances in recent years," experts believe that the sponsorship rights race will see "aggressive bidding from some of the biggest corporations in categories such as telecommunications, conglomerates, and e-commerce." Currently, broadcaster Star India, whose three-year deal ends in late March, "forks out" $28,600 per match for bilateral matches -- the base price was set at $22,400 -- and $10,000 per match in ICC championship series (ASIA SPONSORSHIP NEWS, 2/16).
