News Broadcasting
Taj TV secures Lanka cricket rights for $50 million
MUMBAI: Taj Television, holding company of Dubai-based sports broadcaster Ten Sports, has signed with Sri Lanka Cricket a broadcast rights deal that runs from January 2005 to 2008. The cost of the acquisition — a whopping $ 50 million.
According to reports in the Sri Lanka media, Taj Television officials were supposed to have met SLC officials last evening to finalise the deal.
It was in June that SLC called for tenders for the TV rights. Taj Television, as the incumbent rights holder, had been allowed to match the best offer after the tenders closed. Among the international tenders that came in, the highest bid was $ 48 million, reportedly put in by Dubai-based digital satellite broadcaster ARY. The next highest bids were by sports marketing agency World Sport Group with $46.6 million and ESPN Star Sports with $40.6 million.
A point of note is that Taj Television and ARY, which broadcasts mainly in the Middle East and Europe, jointly hold the contract to broadcast Pakistan’s home cricket matches in a $42.6-million deal that began last year and runs until 2008.
At $ 50 million, this is by far the highest ever amount Sri Lanka Cricket has obtained for broadcast rights. Even Taj TV’s initial bid of $33.5 million was higher than any the SLC had ever received, which puts in perspective the size of the final sale. While Taj TV officials were unavailable for comment, it is to be assumed that the additional $ 2 million it paid out was to lock in subsidiary rights like broadband.
According to information available with indiantelevision.com, there were a total of 12 bidders that threw their hats in the ring for rights ranging from broadband telecast to in-stadia hoardings. Willow TV (broadband), Madison Outdoor Media Services (Moms), and even CBFS (the Sharjah event company that is also promoted by Taj TV owner Abdurrahman Bukhatir) were among those that bid.
The reason the rights went for such a high cost was largely because of one thing — the guarantee of visits by India to the island nation. The SLC has managed to get the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to confirm three tours (which includes two triangulars) for the period the contract runs.
An immediate problem the $ 50-million “windfall” will allow the SLC to resolve is the compensation suite that World Sport Nimbus, the agency that held the international television rights to Sri Lankan cricket until 2001, won against it in a Singapore court of arbitration.
WSN reportedly won damages worth $ 7 million from the Singapore court over the premature termination of its contract.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
