BCCI Looking To Tweak Home Cricket Schedule To Lure Broadcasters

With Indian cricket’s broadcast deal up for sale, the focus of BCCI officials "will be to find a way to manipulate" the Int'l Cricket Council's Future Tours Program "to get the most out of it," according to the HINDUSTAN TIMES. In June, the BCCI named Vivo the title sponsor of the Indian Premier League for five years. The global smart phone manufacturer bid Rs 2,199 crore, a 554% rise over the previous deal. But "finding broadcasters willing to splurge for the national team’s TV rights may not be that easy." It was "a win-win situation in the current deal" as India played 90% of its cricket at home in '16-17. In '18, the BCCI does not "have much to offer" as India will play mostly abroad. The focus "will be to have a strong home schedule and avoid the current situation where a new broadcaster would face a barren season." The idea is for India to host int'l teams in October-November and February-March (HINDUSTAN TIMES, 12/10).