BCCI to produce India-Australia series

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday informed the Supreme Court that TV coverage of India's domestic cricket series with Australia and South Africa in the coming months would be produced by the cricket board with live feed to Prasar Bharti for domestic viewers and international telecast rights to some other broadcaster.

The issue came up during the hearing of a petition filed by ZEE TV, challenging BCCI's decision to cancel allotment of telecast rights in its favour.

Acting on cue, ESPN STAR Sports has written to BCCI that it is willing to produce and telecast the forthcoming India-Australia series. With the cricket series set to begin from October 6 and the telecast rights issue hanging in the Supreme Court, BCCI, according to informed sources, is running out of time to sew up the deals.

The ESPN STAR Sports missive was from Rik Dovey, managing director, ESPN STAR Sports, Asia.

ESPN STAR Sports has further proposed that it will pass on the net advertising revenues earned on ESPN and STAR Sports, as well its net share of the DD revenue, net of costs, to the BCCI.

In the courts, meanwhile, the Supreme Court bench issued notice to the Centre, BCCI, ESPN STAR Sports and Price Water Cooper Ltd and posted it for hearing on Tuesday, after taking note of the important legal questions raised by the petitioner.

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