Women's IPL: Media rights may attract bids worth Rs 220-250 crore a year

BCCI eyeing Rs 10-11 crore per match for 2023-27 cycle, say sources; broadcasters Disney-Star, Viacom18, Sony-Zee may step into fray for rights

The auction of the media rights for the Women's Indian Premier League (IPL) during the 2023-27 cycle may attract bids worth Rs 220-250 crore per year, according to sources at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The cricket governing body is eyeing Rs 1,100-1,250 crore from media rights sales for the five-year period, persons in the know said. The inaugural edition of the Women’s IPL will happen in March next year.

This translates into a per-match earning of around Rs 10-11 crore for the BCCI, since there are 22 matches in the inaugural edition of the Women's IPL. For five years, the total number of matches works out to 110.

The per-match earnings of the Women's IPL work out to about a tenth of those of the Men's IPL edition, whose media rights for the 2023-27 cycle were sold for Rs 118 crore per match by the apex cricket body in June. The total value stood at Rs 48,390 crore for five years, involving 410 matches.

Disney-Star had picked up the television rights for the Men’s IPL for Rs 23,575 crore, while Viacom18 took the digital rights for Rs 23,491 crore during the three-day e-auction process. Viacom18 and Times Internet had picked up the overseas rights for the Men's IPL for Rs 1,324 crore.

Unlike the Men's IPL, no reserve price has been set for the Women's IPL media rights, since this is the first time such a cricket league will be held in the country, persons in the know said. Globally, the Big Bash League in Australia has both a men's and women's edition. Bids for the Women’s IPL will be submitted in sealed envelopes, in much the same way as the auction of media rights for ICC tournaments was conducted recently.

Broadcasters such as Disney-Star, Viacom18 and Sony-Zee may step into the fray again, say informed sources, as cricket is an important part of their programming strategy. Amazon Prime Video and Dream11 are among the other names that could bid for the media rights, say executives in the know.

The apex cricket governing body is organising the women's edition from March 3 to 26, 2023, with a five-team format. The franchises for the IPL will be decided after the bids for the media rights are opened on January 12, persons in the know said. The last date for picking up tender documents is December 31, 2022.

"If the ongoing India-Australia T20 series is an indication, the interest in a T20 tournament for Women is high among cricket fans," says Ayaz Memon, a Mumbai-based cricket expert. "The venues at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai have seen a good turnout of supporters so far."

"Sports broadcasters will be tracking the level of interest in tournaments such as these. This will likely determine their appetite for the media rights of the women's edition of the IPL," Memon  added.

The ongoing India-Australia T20 series for Women will conclude on Tuesday. Australia has taken a 3-1 lead over India in the tournament so far.

"Women's cricket has been steadily growing in India. I remain an optimist that the Women's IPL will take off in India. It would therefore work in the interest of broadcasters who choose to invest in the property now," Shantha Rangaswamy, former India cricket captain and director of the Indian Cricketers' Association, a non-profit body, recognised by the BCCI, said.

• Interest in women’s cricket steadily growing, say experts
• BCCI looking at Rs 10-11 crore per match in terms of earnings for Women’s IPL media rights over five years
• This is almost one-tenth the per-match value of Men’s IPL media rights over five years
• Bids for Women’s IPL media rights likely to touch Rs 220-250 crore per year or Rs 1,100-1,250 for five years; Men’s IPL had attracted bids worth Rs 48,390 crore for five years