SET MAX sells nearly 80% of on-air advertising slots

With only 12 days to go for the country’s most sought-after cricket extravaganza the Indian Premier League, host broadcaster Sony Entertainment Television (SET Max) has sold nearly 80 per cent of its on-air advertising for the 56 matches.

SET has also raised the rates for a 10 second spot over 35 per cent after the IPL was relocated to South Africa on security concerns.

In all, media agencies estimate that from IPL, SET Max will be able to raise about Rs 400 crore from sponsorships and advertising spots.

“We are extremely happy with advertisers’ response. We will close the selling by the end of this week. Once IPL starts, we will charge high premiums for the air time,” Rohit Gupta, president, Multi Screen Media, the company that runs SET Max, Sony TV, and Sony Pix, among other channels, told Business Standard.

The company had had to re-negotiate its telecast rights deal with IPL promoter Board of Control for Cricket in India by paying nearly double the amount it had paid for the old deal for a nine-year period. It will now pay Rs 911 crore a year with partners World Sports Group who will have the international rights.

Commenting on reports that IPL will be able to create additional on-air advertising slots, Gupta said: “These are incorrect reports. IPL is about non-stop, action-packed content. There is no way we are getting any extra time to sell.”

So far, IPL has nine fixed sponsors, including Coca-Cola, Hyundai, Airtel Digital TV, Havell’s and Vodafone, a source in SET Max said.