The Nimbus Communications agency should use advertising revenues from its two multi-national pay-television sports channels, Neo Cricket and Neo Sports, to fulfil outstanding payments to the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the governing body told the Bombay High Court.
The board is attempting to claim Rs3 billion (€46 million / $60 million) in rights fees from Nimbus through the Bombay High Court after cancelling a worldwide rights deal with the agency.
According to news website CNBC-TV18, the board said in court that Nimbus could transfer advertising income generated by the two channels directly to the BCCI to help pay off the rights fees.
However, lawyers representing Nimbus said that any income generated by Neo Sports Broadcast, the umbrella company for the two channels, could not be transferred directly to the board as the rights deal had been with Nimbus, a separate company. The lawyers said Nimbus held an 89-per-cent stake in Neo Sports Broadcast, and was not the sole owner.
The rights included all India national team Test, one-day international and Twenty20 matches held in the country as well as some domestic tournaments. The governing body cancelled the deal after saying Nimbus had failed to pay rights fee instalments on time.