Airtel takes the crease

Telecom operator Bharti Airtel today bagged the title sponsorship rights for the Indian cricket team's home games for two-and-half years at a cost of Rs 3.33 crore per match. Airtel’s bid is just a fraction higher than the Rs 3.15 crore that WSG had forked out for the same rights, for two years up to August 31.

In a statement, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary N Srinivasan today announced that Bharti Airtel’s winning bid would cover test matches, one-day internationals (ODIs) and T-20 internationals. The rights kick in from September 1.

The deal is significant because it is one of the first sponsorship bids finalised without Lalit Modi being party to the process. Unlike Modi, who aggressively marketed such sponsorship deals and imposed stiff base prices for bidding, BCCI has decided to tread more cautiously. The floor price for title sponsorship was fixed at only Rs 2 crore. Obviously, the mega bids seen during the auction of two new IPL T-20 teams were conspicuous by their absence.

According to industry experts, the deal is attractive because Airtel, which pipped three other contendors — including Idea Cellular, Micromax Mobile and Karbonn Mobile — to the post, will have to fork out only around Rs 177 crore for 53 matches.

This includes 30 ODIs, 19 tests and four T-20 internationals slated to be played in India. However, the number of matches could increase.

In contrast, WSG is understood to have paid around Rs 207crore to BCCI owing to a higher number of matches in the past two years. The deal with Airtel was finalised after a meeting of BCCI’s marketing committee on Friday. Under the terms of the agreement, Airtel will get to advertise its brands in prime spots at the grounds and on the stumps.

Ten bid documents were given out, but only four companies participated in the bidding. The Indian Premier League (IPL) governing council, which also met in Mumbai, discussed the accounts of the T20 cricket league. “After that, there was a (BCCI) finance committee meeting,” said Srinivasan.
 

SHORT PITCHED ($ mn)
MAJOR IPL DEALS	SIZE
Broadcast rights (Multi Screen Media)	1,600
New franchise (Sahara)	370
New franchise (Rendezvous)	333
RECENT BCCI DEALS
Jersey sponsorship (Sahara)	120
Title sponsorship (Airtel)	38

According to sources, the Board had a deficit of Rs 39 crore for the 2009-10 season, after deducting Rs 202 crore that was distributed to the 25 state associations. Each association is likely to receive at least Rs 6 crore. “The expenses had mounted due to the second season of IPL being held in South Africa. A total amount of Rs 83 crore was spent,” one source said.

No decision on the number of matches to be played in the fourth season of IPL was taken on Friday. While eight teams were in the fray in the first three editions, IPL will feature 10 teams from the next edition after the addition of Sahara Pune Warriors and the new Kochi franchise.