Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) seems to have overcome a major obstacle towards hosting the Indian team next month.
SLC is now close to signing a deal with Sony Six for the three-Test home series against Virat Kohli & Co. The deal sure has not been inked yet but, save a last minute turnaround, the parties are close to signing on the dotted line soon.
The signing should please the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which has steadfastly opposed tours to countries that have broadcasting contracts with Essel Group-owned Ten Sports. Now that the SLC and Sony are on the verge of an agreement, BCCI should give the give green signal to the tour.
“We’ve not signed the deal as yet but we are at an advanced stage of negotiation,” confirmed a Sony official.
As has been widely reported recently, an existing contract between Ten Sports and Zimbabwe almost derailed Indian team’s tour of the African nation. Both boards reached a middle ground after hectic parleys in Barbados recently.
SLC, however, is wiser with experience. It too has a long standing agreement with Ten Sports but as reported by this paper on June 24, the Sri Lankan board had kept the India series out of their package. They are now selling the rights for this one-off series separately.
It is learnt that the SLC invited tenders for the series but did not get an encouraging response. The only broadcaster to show interest was Ten Sports itself, which produced a bid for $1.4 million. Unhappy with the amount, SLC opened up channels of negotiations with Sony and Star Sports. They are now on the verge of closing a pact for about $ 2 million.
The reason for none-too-enthusiastic response from the broadcaster is non-marketability of Test cricket. As there are no ODIs and Twenty20 games in the series, the ratings are unlikely to be high. Besides, the games are likely to be affected by the weather since it usually rains in August.
The other difficult point is that it would not be easy for the broadcasters to claim insurance if a Test or a series is marred by frequent weather interruptions. On the other hand, it would be able to make an insurance claim if there is a total washout.
Source: Bangalore Mirror Bureau
