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Our Bureau

Chennai, Jan. 3 ESPN Star Sports could make between Rs 175 crore and Rs 180 crore from the India cricket team’s tour to Australia.

According to media buyers, the network has reportedly already sold out at least two thirds of the inventory of the One Day International tri-series that start next month, while the four test matches are being played out.

Ten second spots are selling at about Rs 1.70 lakh for the 15 ODIs which are scheduled to start on the third of next month, after the T20 match being held on February 1.

Advertisers could include those associated with the test series, that is, Airtel, Perfetti van Melle, Havells and Frito Lay.

It’s a good month for broadcasters of the game. Companies are likely to want to live up to their budgets for 2007-08 before the financial year closes in March.

An India-Australia series, point out media buyers, is also high on the hierarchy of cricket drama, second only to an India-Pakistan match. However, the only downside maybe the non-India matches, four of them at least, during the 15 ODIs that India, Sri Lanka and Australia are participating in.

Advertising rates for cricket also seem to be stabilising around Rs 1.6-1.7 lakh for spots, though an India-Pakistan match sells for more, and it could stay at that level predict buyers.

Meanwhile, ESPN Star Sports has also acquired the mobile rights for the ongoing tour.

The broadcaster said it will make a range of mobile content, created around the matches, available through its Mobile ESPN or Star Sports Mobile services. GPRS users of Airtel, Vodaphone, Idea, BSNL and Aircel amongst others will be able to download video highlights of matches, wall papers and animations from the broadcasters’ WAP portal (wap.mobilespn.in) said the company in a release.

According to Mr Sanjay Kailash, Executive V-P, Ad Sales, Business Development and New Media, ESPN Software India, “The response to Mobile ESPN or Star Sports Mobile has been very positive and we expect a lot of user activity during the India tour of Australia.”

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