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Deloitte: Global premium sports broadcast rights pegged at $24.2 billion
MUMBAI: Sports fans have much to cheer about as Deloitte in a report have predicted that the value of premium sports broadcast rights worldwide will increase by 14 per cent and reach $24.2 billion (as on 30 June 2013). This is $2.9 billion higher than last year.
India’s Indian Premier League and Indian national team cricket are included as premium sports across the globe along with the National Basketball Association (NBA), top tier domestic football leagues, F1 etc. “The premium sports in each market represent a small proportion of all professional sports activity. However, they represent the vast majority of viewer interest and the bulk of all television revenues,” reads the report.
The Indian Premiere League was bought by Sony and World Sport Group (WSG) in 2008 for $918 million for a period of 10 years. The broadcast rights for domestic games of the national cricket team is with Star Sports while for international games is with Ten Sports.
About three quarters of the whole amount will be contributed by the top ten sports in the world that includes: the top-tier domestic football leagues in England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, the UEFA Champions League, and the four major North American professional leagues. The substantial revenue growth in 2014 will be largely driven by new broadcast deals for England’s Premier League, Germany’s Bundesliga and Major League Baseball.
“Television and premium sports are well matched for each other: at the highest level, sport is great unscripted live drama for television. Constant advances in technology are leading to ever more sophisticated, compelling ways in which sports can be portrayed. The development of pay TV in particular has transformed the broadcasting of premium sports leagues. Live content is a key subscription driver for those leagues and underpins pay TV business models. As the pay TV subscriber base rises and revenue per user grows, operators are investing increasing sums to secure this key content,” said Deloitte Sports Business Group senior consultant Austin Houlihan.
He added, “New market entrants looking for attractive differentiating sports content have intensified competition driving substantial uplifts in rights fees. For example, BT’s entry into the UK sports rights market, acquiring sports content to help retain and build its telephony, broadband, and pay TV services, has resulted in substantial revenue uplifts. The Premier League enjoyed a 71% increase in the value of its domestic live rights from 2013/14, while the amount paid for UK rights to UEFA’s top club competitions will double in value from 2015/16.”
In India, the IPL and the matches played by the Indian national team are set to rake in more money this year through sponsorships and associations through merchandises.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
