The long overdue deal of the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s next TV broadcast and marketing rights is unlikely to be completed before the next board election, officials said on Sunday.
The BCB faces a race against time to ink their television broadcast and marketing rights deal before the forthcoming home series against New Zealand which is a little over four months away.
BCB senior official Sazzadul Alam confirmed that they are yet to float any tender for the deal and it is unlikely to happen before an elected body takes over the charges.
Initially it was announced that the BCB would immediately invite bids from the intending TV channels and marketing firms after the West Indies series after it failed to seal any deal at the first attempt for a four-year period from November 1, 2012 to April 30, 2016.
The BCB was then forced to sell the worldwide broadcasting rights just for the home series against West Indies last year to Virgo Media Ltd, owner of satellite television channel, Channel 9, for $50,000.
‘We decided not to float any tender until the next BCB election,’ Sazzadul Alam, a member of the Board’s ad-hoc committee, told New Age on Sunday.
‘Initially we wanted to advertise for tenders after the West Indies series but later opted to stay away from it as we wanted an elected body to make the deal,’ said Sazzadul.
Earlier in August last year, the BCB had floated the tender for the TV broadcast deal on the basis of a new guideline prepared by Sazzadul after their contentious six-year agreement with international marketing agency Nimbus ended on March, 2012.
As there were no high demands regarding the tender schedules of the broadcast rights spanning four years, the BCB had to extend their deadline twice eyeing more companies in the bidding process.
Only two candidates – Ten Sports and Indian sports-event licensing company Sporty Solutionz – showed any interest to buy the schedules.
As there were no other parties interested apart from the two companies despite amendments being made to the initial clause, the BCB was compelled to go for a one-series deal. Virgo Media thought to have submitted a valid bid but did not raise their offer from initial $6 million, though the board had asked for at least $15 million.
The BCB election is yet to gather any momentum after a court ruling had stopped all possible ways to complete it.
Meanwhile, the New Zealand series starts from early October consisting of two Test matches along with three one-day internationals and a lone Twenty20 international.
‘I think we will have time before the home series against New Zealand as the election will commence sooner rather than later,’ said Sazzadul.
‘We would again try to go for a four-year deal as we found that a deal with such a time frame is both feasible and profitable,’ said Sazzadul.
Sazzadul also hinted that though they would try to acquire the maximum return from the long-term TV broadcast deal, the BCB is, however, unlikely to get a high price as Bangladesh are scheduled to host lesser number of matches compared to the other teams in the Future Tours Programme.
In the next three-and-a-half years, beginning with the home series against New Zealand, Bangladesh will play 16 Test matches, 41 one-day internationals and four Twenty20 internationals at home.
-With New Age input
