A two-way contest between Zee and ESPN-Star

The battle for telecast rights of cricket matches in India has heated up with the Zee network having apparently tabled a bid worth US$262million, about $30million more than ESPN-Star Sports, who were thought to be the favourites to clinch the deal. According to a report in The Times of India, Jagmohan Dalmiya, the Indian board president, indicated that money wasn't the sole criterion in the issue, but Subhash Chandra, the Zee network chairman, expressed his confidence that Zee would win the rights.

"We want the best deal for Indian cricket in every way - money is not the only criterion," Dalmiya was quoted as saying in the report. "Telecast rights are our property. We may call a single channel or all five [bidders] for discussion before taking a decision." Sony Entertainment Television, Ten Sports, and Prasar Bharati, the national broadcaster, are the others who have bid for the rights.

ESPN-Star Sports has claimed that Zee hasn't produced any international cricket, one of the vital requirements for a bidder. Rick Dovey, the managing director of ESPN-Star Sports, said: "They have merely acquired the rights as a license and have telecast them [the matches]."

However, Chandra countered these claims. "We wouldn't have submitted a bid if we hadn't met the conditions," Chandra told the newspaper. "We have one of the largest in-house production and telecasting units and channel networks in the country and have been telecasting live cricket in the US, UK, Europe and Africa for more than a decade. We had spoken to a number of office bearers and officials in the BCCI before entering the fray. They have assured us that we qualify."

Pricewaterhouse Coopers, the audit firm which is handling the tenders, has already submitted its report to the board, which is expected to announce its final decision on Tuesday.