IPL cricket rights battle goes into day three / Photo: Indranil MUKHERJEE - AFP/File
-
The Nigerian fishing community being eaten up by the Atlantic
-
Trump says US scaling back military drills with Seoul hours before start
-
Kushner to meet Netanyahu after talks with Hamas on Gaza plan
-
Nearly 13,000 displaced after deadly Indonesian quake
-
Photos, memories all that remain for Colombia's bereaved after quake
-
Axe hangs over Australian batters after Darwin 'disaster'
-
Sabalenka squeezes out win on sixth match point in Cincinnati
-
Is this cave in Turkey where Homer wrote 'The Odyssey'?
-
Trump says US scaling back military drills with South Korea hours before start
-
Winning back walls from gangs, artists fill El Salvador's towns with color
-
Jason Arday: UK academic who died amid plagiarism storm
-
Opening arguments expected in Tupac murder trial
-
Sabbath cafe clash lays bare Israel faultlines
-
As machinery removes rubble, hopes for survivors from Colombian quake dwindle
-
Top-ranked Scheffler powers to PGA St. Jude Championship victory
-
Trump says US scaling back military drills with South Korea
-
Jacquet scores on Liverpool debut in friendly win over Como
-
Zambia's Hichilema takes early lead in reelection bid
-
Hawaii's Big Island begins recovery efforts as Hurricane Lala downgrades, moves west
-
Sabalenka squeezes out a win on sixth match point in Cincinnati
-
Spidey swings high for third weekend in N. American box office
-
Duplantis dominant, Hunt hits four and Asher-Smith makes history
-
Eagle and late birdie lift Jeeno to LPGA Portland Classic win
-
Spanish soldier dies in Aragon wildfire
-
Duplantis masterclass for fourth Euro pole vault title
-
PSG beaten by Lens in French Champions' Trophy
-
Records for Asher-Smith, Hunt as Britain win 4x100m mixed relay
-
Rybakina, Andreeva race into Cincinnati third round
-
Barcelona reach deal with Man City to sign Rodri
-
Amy Hunt bags fourth Euro gold as Britain win 4x100m mixed relay
-
Misery for Maresca as Man City make dismal start to life after Guardiola
-
Spanish soldier dies in Aragon wildfire: regional leader
-
Strikes kill 19 in Russia and Ukraine
-
Belgium's Pocognoli appointed new Scotland manager
-
Lula and Bolsonaro court women voters as Brazil election campaign kicks off
-
Marchand storms to second gold of European championships
-
Belgium races to tame huge wildfire creeping towards Germany
-
Kushner meets with Hamas in push to revive Gaza plan
-
Two dead, hundreds evacuated from fires on island near Athens
-
Villarreal battle back to earn draw at promoted Racing
-
Real Madrid crush Schalke in friendly as Diomande debuts
-
Odegaard says Arsenal 'want to win everything' after Community Shield success
-
Calls for UK inquiry into 'hounding' of ex-Cambridge academic
-
Arsenal rout Man City in Community Shield masterclass
-
Strikes kill 16 in Russia and Ukraine
-
Southampton mocked over Spygate during Watford defeat
-
Marchand tries for European swim gold in unfamiliar event
-
Hamas expects meeting with Kushner as US pushes Gaza plan
-
India's Padikkal steals the show with 167 in first Sri Lanka Test
-
Farmers, helicopters help battle record Belgian wildfire
IPL cricket rights battle goes into day three
The battle for broadcast rights for the Indian Premier League reached fever pitch on Monday with global media giants reportedly bidding $5.65 billion to show and stream the hugely popular cricket contest.
Attracting some of cricket's top stars from India and abroad with large salaries, the pioneering IPL helped make Twenty20, a shorter and more exciting format of the sport, hugely popular, spawning copycat events worldwide.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) began an online auction on Sunday for four different packages to show the annual two-month event, attracting giants such as Disney, Sony and Indian tycoon Mukesh Ambani's Reliance group.
On Monday TV rights for the Indian market were sold for $3.02 billion while the digital streaming segment went for $2.56 billion for five seasons from 2023 to 2027, but it was unclear to whom, media reports said.
Two more packages of non-exclusive digital rights for 18 games including the play-offs as well and another for overseas TV and digital rights will likely be decided Tuesday.
This dwarfs the $2.55 billion paid in 2017 by Star India, owned by US behemoth Disney, for the previous TV and digital rights deal that expired last month with the conclusion of the 15th edition of the tournament.
Sony had televised the IPL for the first 10 years since the league started in 2008.
Jeff Bezos's Amazon, which has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on rights for European soccer and American football, had earlier shown interest in the IPL but pulled out of the contest ahead of the auction.
P.AbuBaker--SF-PST
