The Board of Control for Cricket in India has opened a tender process for the next cycle of rights to the Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition.
The tender was launched today (Monday), with the BCCI accepting bids for the rights through to October 25.
The packages on offer include television rights in the Indian subcontinent for 10 years, from 2018 to 2027, digital rights in the Indian subcontinent over five years, from 2018 to 2022, and media rights for the same five-year period for the rest of the world.
Bidders can submit offers for a combination of the packages.
The BCCI informed the IPL’s current rights-holder, Sony Pictures Networks India, that it would launch an open tender process in an effort to demonstrate transparency in its operations, with the governing body under substantial pressure to implement major reforms in its governance.
Sony’s right of first refusal negotiating period for the next set of IPL rights came to an end on July 28. With the next IPL rights contract expected to be worth about $4bn (€3.5bn), the BCCI is said to have written to broadcasters stating that the media rights for the next period will be conducted through an open tender that enables “price discovery in a fair and transparent manner”.
BCCI president Anurag Thakur said: “We don't want anything where anyone can point a finger at us.”
Pay-television broadcaster Star India holds the digital and overseas rights, except in the UK and the US.