IPL TV rights value grows 4.2X in 15 years; digital grows 41X in 8 years

On Day-2 of the e-auction for the IPL media rights, ANI tweeted that the bidding for TV and digital rights for Indian subcontinent has concluded with each rights going to different entities.

BCCI has increased the number of matches for the next cycle (2023-27) by about 30 per cent -- from the previous 314 (60+60+60+60+74) games to 410 (74+74+84+84+94) matches.

The TV and digital rights have fetched a total of Rs 44,075 crore with TV closing at Rs 23,575 crore from the base price of Rs 18,130 crore and digital closing at Rs 20,500 crore versus reserve price of Rs 12,210 crore.

The per game cost for TV rights comes to Rs 57.5 crore, up 17% from its base price of Rs 49 crore. India digital rights witnessed 51% growth from its base price of Rs 33 crore to Rs 50 crore per game.

The combined bid price for both TV and digital is 45% more than the base price of Rs 30,350 crore.

The per match cost for TV and digital combined comes at Rs 107.5 crore.

The other two packages could fetch an additional Rs 5,500-6,000 crore for BCCI. This averages at Rs 14.5 crore per match taking the value of one IPL game to Rs 122 crore.

In the 2018-22 closed bid, Star India had won the composite global media rights for Rs 16,347 crore, amounting to Rs 54.5 crore per game.

The current value is 2.2X of the last bid.

In 2008, the telecast rights were awarded to Sony Pictures Networks India (then, MSM India) in the inaugural season for ten years for Rs 8,200 crore. Sony had then paid about Rs 13.66 crore per match for broadcast rights.

At Rs 57.5 crore per game today, an IPL game on TV is valued 4.2X of what it was 15 years ago.

The digital growth story of the tournament is staggering. The digital rights were given to Hotstar, Star India’s OTT platform in 2015 for a period of three years for Rs 300 crore.

From Rs 100 crore every year about 8 years ago to Rs 4,100 crore in 2023, it’s a 41X jump in 8 years.