Times, Nimbus scout for global partners to sublicense IPL rights

Times Internet and Nimbus Communication today said they are looking for global partners across media platforms to sublicense IPL rights that they have bagged this week from the BCCI.

The BCCI on Sunday announced that the media rights tender for IPL's global Internet, mobile and radio rights, along with television rights in certain television territories have been awarded to a consortium led by Times Internet Ltd for Rs 261.6 crore for four years till 2014.

A part of the consortium, Nimbus said it has the global broadcast rights, excluding territories of the Indian sub-continent, Australia, South Africa, West Asia, the Caribbean, Hong Kong and Singapore. It is now scouting for tie-up with global partners in over 60 countries.

"We are in talks with companies for partnership in over 60 countries for which Nimbus has bagged the TV broadcast rights for IPL," Nimbus Communications COO Yannick Colaco told PTI.

The TV rights for Indian sub-continent along with certain other territories that continue to be held by SET MAX  were however, not part of the tender offer. The IPL 2011 season starts on April 8 when Chennai Super Kings host the Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai.

Colaco said Nimbus is mainly looking at advertising and subscription as primary revenue streams from the international markets.

Similarly Times Internet that has radio, Internet and mobile rights for the IPL is also looking to sublicense the rights with BCCI's approval in countries outside India.

"Primarily, we would be looking at sublicensing of mobile and radio rights in territories that we are not present in, with the approval of the BCCI," Times Internet CEO Rishi Khiani said.

He said in case of the Internet, the company will manage almost all the territories across the globe on its own.

"There is a huge opportunity to tap large audience in cricket playing nations and countries which have a big chunk of cricket fans," Khiani said.

For revenue generation, the company is looking at different models, including advertisements, subscription, sponsorships and pay-per-page download, he said.

Neither Nimbus nor Times Internet divulged the revenue expectation from the new rights merely saying the event offers an opportunity to make good money.