Amazon And Google Say No To BCCI As Only Three Parties Bid For Media Rights- Report

Google and Amazon have reportedly decided against submitting a bid for the media rights of The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the richest cricket body in the world. The media rights are now a three-way race with neither Google nor Amazon being a competitor.

Earlier this month, reports suggested that the BCCI was trying to lure both the global giants in an attempt to earn a lucrative bid. The media rights of Team India’s bilateral series for the next five years are currently up for grabs.

The BCCI even postponed the starting date of the auction process for the media rights in order to get Amazon and Google on board. However, the BCCI has been left disappointed by both the multinational technological companies.

Three-way race for BCCI media rights:

According to Cricbuzz, only three entities have entered their technical bids for the media rights so far. The parties interested in acquiring the media rights of the BCCI are – Disney Star, Sony Sports, and Viacom 18. The auction is scheduled to take place on August 31.

Monday (August 28) was the designated day for the submission of technical bids, during which the regulator evaluated whether the participants satisfied the criteria outlined in the Invitation To Tender (ITT). The technical bid is the first major step towards participation in the upcoming auction.

The report further stated that the likes of Zee, FanCode as well as Amazon, and Google decided against bidding for the rights. Consequently, the traditional rivals – Sony and Star – along with Viacom 18, will fight it out for the media rights.

Having decided against submitting a bid, Zee is likely to form a partnership with Sony in the bidding process. The two broadcasters are all set to undergo a merger in the coming days. The report further stated that a joint bid from Sony and Zee is also a possibility as the BCCI has given the green light to consortium bids.

Meanwhile, the three interested parties are not new to participating in the auction for media rights. In the past, all three parties – Sony, Disney Star, and Viacom 18 – have participated in IPL bidding. And at present, Disney Star and Viacom are the media partners of the BCCI by holding IPL rights.