More India cricket rights up for grabs

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in its endeavour to make the most of its cricket, will issue a tender for global media rights for a period of five years for all matches that India will play on neutral ground (non ICC member country) outside India. This will include media rights for the upcoming Indo-Pak Friendship Series in Abu Dhabi.

The tender was opened on March 28, 2006, and the last date for submission of tenders is April 5 at noon at Nirlon House in Mumbai. The tenders will be scrutinised on the same day. The financial bids will be opened on the following day in Delhi on April 6, 2006 between 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm at the Oberoi Hotel.

The global media rights tender comprises all television, radio and Internet rights. The tender is for a period of five years from April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2011.

The global media rights tender is intended to streamline the process of match telecasting wherever the Indian team is playing. With the number and quality of matches growing, this streamlining becomes increasingly important. Lalit Modi, Chairman Marketing Sub-Committee, BCCI, said, ���Where matches are played in full ICC member countries, the broadcasting rights will naturally fall under the purview of the home country board. The minimum bid varies with the region/country being bid for. However, bidders have the option to bid for rights in more than one country/region.�۝

Some countries tentatively included in the list of venues are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Holland, England (Lords, Oval and Birmingham), Toronto, New York and Tristate Area, Houston, Chicago, Palo Alto and Bay Area, Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur.