The Hindu Business Line : Zee makes presentation to BCCI on telecast

Mr Subash Chandra (left), Chairman, Zee Telefilms, and Mr Rajiv Garg, CEO, Corporate Strategy and Finance, Essel Corporate Group, at a press conference in Chennai on Saturday. - Bijoy Ghosh

Chennai , Sept. 4

ZEE Telefilms on Saturday made a presentation to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) here about its competence to handle cricket telecast over an extended period.

A BCCI committee is to meet on Sunday to decide on the bids for telecast rights.

Zee Telefilms earlier said that its bid of $260 million was the highest in the current exercise for cricket telecast rights.

BCCI, Indian cricket's nodal agency, had invited bids to telecast international matches in India and domestic cricket for four years starting October 2004.

Zee Telefilms' Chairman, Mr Subhash Chandra, told a press conference that if the company did not win cricket telecast rights despite being the highest bidder, it would take legal action.

"Expect a fierce battle in courts," said Mr Chandra, in response to a question about the company's strategy if it lost the bid.

Zee's officials said its main rival, ESPN-Star Sports combine, had bid $230 million for the telecast rights.

In the backdrop of media reports about Zee's inexperience in sports telecast, Mr Chandra said it was "sad" that competition had tried to misguide people. Mr Chandra said BCCI had sought six to seven clarifications on its bid.

Some of the clarifications centred on Zee's experience and payment schedule, he said.

Mr Chandra said if Zee won the bid, it would outsource production in the beginning.

He said that barring Ten Sports, none of the other sports channels had their own production facility.

Zee, which is to start a sports channel next month, will have to telecast 375 days of cricket over the next four years if it wins the bid. Mr Chandra said the company had also offered to telecast 52-72 days of domestic cricket.

He said that BCCI had declined the company's Rs 94.5- crore offer to revamp the domestic cricket schedule to help its live telecast.

Zee also runs a cable distribution network.

Mr Chandra said this meant that blackouts due to disputes between the channels and distribution network would not take place ahead of key matches.

`Sticking to the game'

Mr Subhash Chandra told the media that BCCI did not want "sexualisation" of cricket. Cricket telecast is expected to stick to the game.

According to Mr Chandra, Zee had received proposals from current Indian cricketers to act as brand ambassadors for its planned sports channel. He added the company had not yet taken a decision on the matter.

Mr Chandra said with proper promotion, other sports could become bigger than cricket in India.

The Indian cricket team's performance did have an impact on advertising revenue, he said. A bad performance affected revenue, Mr Chandra said.