Dish TV opposes STAR move to bid for IPL rights

Direct-to-home service provider Dish TV has filed a complaint with the Competition Commission of India against STAR TV for allegedly monopolising broadcast rights of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI).  

Dish said STAR was trying to abuse its dominant position in airing cricket matches by participating in a bid for the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“We would like to bring to your kind notice certain issues arising out of the forthcoming auction of IPL cricketing telecast rights, which would not only result in a lot of competition issues in the broadcasting and distribution sector, but is also likely to cause severe prejudice to the consumers in so far as cost of accessing cricketing content on television is concerned,” said the complaint written by Chairman and Managing Director of Dish TV Jawahar Goel.

STAR TV did not respond to a query sent by Business Standard. The complaint has also been sent to the BCCI. Dish TV has asked the cricket regulator to ensure fair auction of IPL telecast rights. Business Standard has reviewed the complaint. Dish TV has argued how the number of cricket matches growing over the years. 

Of the 27 sports channels in India, STAR has 12, amounting to a huge share of 44 per cent. Of the 270 matches played or to be played by India from 2012-2019, telecast rights of 191 were with STAR — 71 per cent of the matches. Of the 578 days when the India team would play, STAR alone would be telecasting the matches on 423 days, Dish argued.

STAR TV has the telecast right for all cricketing events, except the IPL, for seven-odd years. The complaint alleged that the television channel planned to monopolise the space by acquiring the rights to telecast the IPL. 

It alleged that STAR has been contravening the Sports Broadcasting Signals Act, 2007, by not providing Doordarshan, the national broadcaster, the signal to the cricketing events. STAR India had paid ~3,851 crore to telecast all international and domestic matches to be played between July 2012 and March 2018, except the IPL.

Dish TV’s complaint against STAR India comes at a time when the bidding process for the IPL media rights for five editions starting 2018 is underway. More than 20 companies, including Sony Pictures, Amazon, Twitter, Facebook, Reliance Jio and Times Internet, have already bought the invitation to tender for the event.  Out of these, only STAR and Sony are offering live streaming of cricket matches in the country across television, computer and mobile screens.

The bone of contention

• Dish said STAR was trying to abuse its dominant position in airing cricket matches by participating in a bid for the IPL

• The complaint has also been sent to the BCCI

• Dish TV has asked the cricket regulator to ensure fair auction of IPL telecast rights

• Of the 27 sports channels in India, STAR has 12, amounting to a huge share of 44%

• Of the 270 matches played or to be played by India from 2012-2019, telecast rights of 191 were with STAR

• STAR TV has the telecast right for all cricketing events, except the IPL

(With inputs from Arnab Datta)