The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Sets a Base Price of USD 170 Million for a Media Rights Auction
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has set a base price of USD 170 million for the media rights to the Asia Cup, with the auction scheduled for November 1, 2023. The rights package covers a range of prestigious tournaments across men’s, women’s, and age-group cricket, including the flagship Men’s Asia Cup, which is the main attraction for broadcasters and sponsors alike.
The rights period spans from 2024 to 2031, covering a total of four editions of the Men’s Asia Cup. The next edition of the tournament will be held in India in 2025 in the T20 format, followed by the 2027 edition in Bangladesh (ODI format), the 2029 tournament in Pakistan (T20 format), and Sri Lanka’s hosting of the 2031 edition in the ODI format. Each edition will feature 13 matches, with the highly anticipated India-Pakistan clashes expected to be the major draw for broadcasters. These encounters have historically generated massive viewership, with at least two guaranteed matches between the arch-rivals, and a potential third if they meet in the final.
The 2023 edition of the Asia Cup was held in a hybrid format across Pakistan and Sri Lanka, featuring two India-Pakistan matches, which saw India win both their group-stage encounters and the final.
The rights package also includes several women’s and age-group tournaments. These include the Women’s Asia Cup, the Women’s Under-19 Asia Cup, and the Emerging Teams Asia Cup, scheduled over the eight-year period. The ACC is confident that the inclusion of these tournaments, along with the high-profile men’s competitions, will make the auction highly competitive.
The auction will be held as an e-auction, a process that has gained wide acceptance for its transparency and fairness. Prior to the auction, interested parties are required to submit their technical bids in Dubai on October 30. The e-auction will determine the winning bidder for the global television, digital, and audio rights for the Asia Cup tournaments.
One of the key talking points surrounding the auction is whether media giants Reliance-backed Viacom18/Jio Cinema and Disney Star, two of India’s leading broadcasters, will submit separate bids or join forces. Both companies are major players in the Indian broadcasting landscape, and there is speculation that their impending merger could lead to a combined bid. While regulatory clearances for the merger are nearly complete, it remains uncertain whether the two broadcasters will approach the auction separately or under a single entity.
The outcome of this auction is keenly awaited, not just because of the enormous financial stakes involved but also because of the pivotal role the Asia Cup plays in the cricketing calendar. The Asia Cup is a marquee tournament for cricket fans in Asia, with its captivating blend of established cricketing nations, fierce rivalries, and growing global viewership.
