TV rights deal earn BCCI $1 billion

The BCCI will net one billion dollars over the next five years following yesterday's deal with Zee Telefilms Limited who secured exclusive global rights for broadcasting India's overseas cricket series.

Zee agreed to pay US$219 million to show 25 one-dayers at venues including the USA, UAE, Canada, England, Singapore and Malaysia in addition to the regular Test programme drawn up by the ICC. The BCCI vice-president, Lalit Modi, denied suggestions that the deal would place an additional burden on players who are already overstretched.

"We have committed to the players they will not play more than 15 Tests and 30 one-dayers in a year as stipulated by the ICC," said Modi. "We will only rework the schedule in a way that attracts maximum sponsorship.

"The total value of sponsorship deals now stands at 1.052 billion dollars."

This deal is almost double that awarded to the ICC, who received a mere $550 million for the sponsorship of two World Cups and three Champions Trophy tournaments between 2000 and 2007. The deal with Zee is in addition to the $612 million which Nimbus paid in February for global media rights for all India's home Tests and one-dayers.