More than 20 broadcasters have expressed an interest in acquiring rights to the Indian Premier League Twenty20 club cricket competition.
According to the Times of India newspaper, all of the interested parties have acquired the invitation to tender (ITT) and bids have been scheduled for September 1.
Submissions had been due to take place on August 28, but the process was delayed due to issues related to taxation and upcoming bank holidays.
A list of broadcasters that have bought the ITT will be submitted to the Supreme Court, ahead of a hearing that will consider a petition asking that IPL rights be sold via an e-auction to help ensure transparency.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has openly criticised plans to stage an e-auction, saying that such a process “will not help discover the best value.”
Media groups Star India and Sony Pictures Networks India are among the firms from India that bought the tender document, while UK pay-television broadcasters Sky and BT Sport have also been named as companies involved in the process.
The Mumbai Indians, captained by Rohit Sharma (pictured), won this year’s IPL.