BT Retro
The official broadcaster, ESPN, is expected to rake in at least Rs 500 crore during the World Cup tournament.
April 22, 2007
Cricket rip-off
Then: "Cricket is a losing proposition in today's context and it is clear that we have to be careful when we decide to spend on the game the next time," says Venugopal Dhoot, Chairman of Videocon Group, echoing the sentiments of all the big spenders on the game. His company, which has Mahendra Singh Dhoni as brand ambassador, is one of the seven on-air associate sponsors for the 2011 World Cup. The scenario looks grim. With India out, the viewership numbers will almost definitely take a beating. "Eyeballs could fall by as much as 40-50 per cent," thinks S. Yesudas, COO of Media Direction, the media services group of RK Swamy BBDO. His agency has done the media buying and planning for BSNL, Raymond and VISA, among others. Sony Entertainment Television, or SET, the official broadcaster, has paid the International Cricket Council, or ICC, an estimated $250 million. Of this, about 30 per cent was lapped up by Indian companies, which now want out, or, at the very least, want discounts. But Sony rules out the possibility. "When you gamble at a casino, you can win or lose. You do not ask for a refund if you lose," says Kunal Dasgupta, CEO of SET. But advertisers are adamant. "Unless rates fall by at least 25 per cent, it will be hard to justify the spend," says Yesudas. One formula that is being bandied about involves Sony offering advertisers more free commercial time, free sponsorships on other shows on the network or spreading out the funds committed beyond the World Cup.
Now: Thanks to India's standing as favourites in the World Cup, the official broadcaster, ESPN, is expected to rake in at least Rs 500 crore during the tournament.
Cricket rip-off
Then: "Cricket is a losing proposition in today's context and it is clear that we have to be careful when we decide to spend on the game the next time," says Venugopal Dhoot, Chairman of Videocon Group, echoing the sentiments of all the big spenders on the game. His company, which has Mahendra Singh Dhoni as brand ambassador, is one of the seven on-air associate sponsors for the 2011 World Cup. The scenario looks grim. With India out, the viewership numbers will almost definitely take a beating. "Eyeballs could fall by as much as 40-50 per cent," thinks S. Yesudas, COO of Media Direction, the media services group of RK Swamy BBDO. His agency has done the media buying and planning for BSNL, Raymond and VISA, among others. Sony Entertainment Television, or SET, the official broadcaster, has paid the International Cricket Council, or ICC, an estimated $250 million. Of this, about 30 per cent was lapped up by Indian companies, which now want out, or, at the very least, want discounts. But Sony rules out the possibility. "When you gamble at a casino, you can win or lose. You do not ask for a refund if you lose," says Kunal Dasgupta, CEO of SET. But advertisers are adamant. "Unless rates fall by at least 25 per cent, it will be hard to justify the spend," says Yesudas. One formula that is being bandied about involves Sony offering advertisers more free commercial time, free sponsorships on other shows on the network or spreading out the funds committed beyond the World Cup.
Now: Thanks to India's standing as favourites in the World Cup, the official broadcaster, ESPN, is expected to rake in at least Rs 500 crore during the tournament.
