Star India Grabs Indian Premier League Production Rights For '18

Star India, which holds the TV and digital rights of the Indian Premier League, on Monday "won the audio-visual production rights" for IPL '18 as well as the BCCI's domestic circuit for the '18-19 season, according to INDIAN TELEVISION. The financial details have not been revealed. In a release, BCCI Secretary Amitabh Choudhary said that the board "reserved the right to extend the term for one more season of the IPL and one more season of domestic cricket." He added, "The board, at its discretion, can extend the term to include IPL season 2020, as provided for in the services agreement" (INDIAN TELEVISION, 2/19). THE HINDU reported while the BCCI did not "specify any details," it was understood that Star India and the Int'l Management Group were the "only two interested bidders," with Star "walking away with the rights for having submitted the lowest bid" of approximately Rs 9.5 crore ($1.4M). This would mean that for the first time, the IPL broadcaster will "also broadcast live content" (THE HINDU, 2/19).