The Bangladesh Cricket Board has issued a tender for its worldwide media rights across a six-year period spanning May 1, 2014 to April 30, 2020.
The BCB has been without a long-term partner since its previous contract with the Nimbus Communications agency expired in April 2012. It was for six years, from November 2006, and included a minimum guarantee of $56.88m (€41.2m).
Nimbus declined to extend its contract after it claimed the BCB had failed to provide the promised number of tours during its six-year duration. Payment disputes during the previous deal had also caused friction between the two parties.
Under the new tender, the BCB said it projects Bangladesh will play 25-30 Tests, 40-45 one-day internationals and 10-15 Twenty20 internationals. Commercially attractive India is also due to tour Bangladesh in 2014, 2015 and 2020.
Discussing the new tender, Kazi Inam Ahmed, chairman of BCB's marketing and commercial committee, told the Daily Star newspaper: “We will definitely be more careful about the deal considering our previous bitter experience. This time we are not interested to include the live telecast of some domestic matches in this new deal because of what happened in the past.
“This time a clause ensures that Bangladeshi television channels will be able to apply. Broadcasters with a year's experience in the business can also apply.”
The BCB is set to hold an open bidding process for the rights on May 12.