Sony to telecast India-Australia series

In another twist to the telecast controversy, the Indian board has announced that Sony Entertainment Network will broadcast the live feed of the Test series between India and Australia.

According to a Press Trust of India report, Ranbir Singh Mahendra, the new president of the Indian board, made this announcement, while also stating that Ten Sports would produce the live telecast for the board. He also clarified that the board had taken the decision based on the recommendations of its marketing committee, and that the arrangement with Sony was on a "revenue sharing basis".

Mahendra stated that India's one-off Platinum Jubilee match against Pakistan on November 13 and the two-Test series against South Africa would be telecast under a similar arrangement. The telecast, though, would be subject to any order passed by the Supreme Court on the matter.

The decision by the Indian board comes in the wake of a protracted battle between ESPN-Star Sports and Zee Telefilms to win the telecast rights for all international matches in the country for the next four years. Zee had earlier approached the Supreme Court after the BCCI cancelled the telecast-rights tender despite having earlier awarded the rights to Zee. ESPN had subsequently tabled a fresh proposal to the board, offering to pass on all profits from the telecast of the series to the BCCI. The board's latest decision is a direct snub to the two leading contenders in the telecast issue.