Sachin's last test means big bucks for STAR Sports

Usually, a ten-second lot in a test match where India is playing at home goes for anything between Rs 40,000 to 60,000 (depending on the opponent)

Sachin Tendulkar's farewell Test match series could fetch big ad revenues for the broadcaster, STAR Sports India. According to early estimates, the channel stands to make four to five times the ad revenue compared with a normal Test series.

A media planner says: “Sachin's farewell match or rather series is a big event. Everyone wants to be a part of it. Of course, it’s a big money-churner for the channel airing the action. From the early negotiations, it looks like advertisers won't mind paying up to Rs 3 lakh for a 10-second slot on the match.” Media planners peg the ad rates for the last match, to be held at Tendulkar's home ground in Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, at Rs 3-3.5 lakh, while that at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens is estimated at Rs 2.5-3 lakh.

Usually, a 10-second slot in a Test match played at home goes for anything between Rs 40,000 and 60,000, depending on who is India’s opponent.

In a Test match, there are 300-odd 10-second slots which can be sold in a day during the playing hours of the match. This includes the breaks between the overs, drinks break and fall of wickets. If one takes an average rate of Rs 2.5 lakh for a 10-second slot, the two matches stand to make between Rs 70 crore and Rs 75 crore for the two matches.

While the associate sponsors for the series are yet to be finalised, this series may turn out to be one of the costliest ever played India. Star India has struck gold in this case as it holds the title sponsorship rights to the series and it acquired the rights at the base price set by the Board for Cricket Control in India (BCCI) at Rs 2 crore per match. For the broadcast rights, Star India pays the BCCI Rs 38 crore for a single match.