The Indian government is working on a directive that would force pay-television broadcaster Star India to share its IPL rights with public-service broadcaster Doordarshan.
The Live Mint website, citing three people with knowledge of the situation, said the information and broadcasting ministry is working on the proposal and has asked the sports ministry for advice.
It would mean that the IPL’s new rights-holder Star will have to share the live feed of the Twenty20 cricket competition with Prasar Bharati under the Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act, 2007. Prasar Bharati operates Doordarshan and All India Radio.
The Act currently designates all official one-day internationals, Twenty20 and Test matches played by India’s men’s team, the semi-finals and finals of the men’s World Cup and the International Cricket Council’s Champions Trophy as events of national importance, meaning their rights have to be shared with Prasar Bharati.
It is proposed that the IPL be added to this list. Live Mint noted that for the sports feed that the public broadcaster receives from privately-held channels, it is also entitled to 25 per cent of the total advertising revenue generated by them. One of the sources told Live Mint: “It is a window of opportunity for Doordarshan. Apart from IPL, there is a list of sporting events including football and certain test matches, being considered by the ministry to be made available on DD.”
Reacting to the Doordarshan news, a Star official told the New Indian Express newspaper: “We have not heard anything from any quarter. So (there is) no point in reacting to this news as yet. But it’s obvious that we hold sole rights for IPL, which can’t be shared.
“The angle of national interest comes into effect only when the Indian team plays bilateral matches in India. We do share the feed with DD for these matches. But the IPL is a private league for which we have the sole right. It’s difficult to understand why even there is talk of sharing this feed with competitors.”