IPL media rights auction Day 2: The battle is not over yet as TV winner seeks a share

The winner of the television rights is all set to challenge the winner of the digital rights at the ongoing auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) media rights, it is reliably learnt. While the TV and digital rights auction concluded quickly on Monday, the fight is not over yet.

This is because the winner of the TV rights is eyeing the digital rights and has the right to rebid in the second category, according to rules laid down in the tender document. In other words, it will be a two-way fight between the winners of the TV and digital rights on day two of the e-auction.

In the morning session, the IPL TV and digital rights auction closed at a total value of Rs 43,255 crore or Rs 105.5 crore per match. There was an incremental bid of Rs 50 lakh placed in the television category, sources in the know said, taking the per-match value to Rs 57.5 crore from Rs 57 crore, which was the figure at the close of bidding on Sunday.

The total value of the TV rights now stands at Rs 23,575 crore for 410 matches, people in the know said. Digital rights, on the other hand, will see incremental bids in the range of Rs 1 crore in the afternoon session from the TV rights holder, implying that the total value, which stood at Rs 19,680 crore in the morning session, will soon change.

The per-match value at Rs 19,680 crore works out to Rs 48 crore per match, persons in the know said. This is 45 per cent higher than the base price of Rs 33 per match for digital rights. Analysts expect this figure to be breached in the afternoon session and the per-match value for digital to increase by at least 60-70 per cent after the bidding war concludes.

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