Will provide security to IPL without govt's help: BCCI

After meeting the Home Ministry today, the BCCI claims that it will provide security to the Indian Premier League (IPL) without the government's help. It will also ensure that no matches are held at least three days prior to the election date in any city. Prita Mitra Dasgupta reports on what's at stake if the IPL is postponed.

 

The attack on the bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricket team to the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore has hit not just the spirit of the game but also its commercial prospects. The government of India is not sure if it can provide security cover to cricket's most lucrative event along with conducting elections in the world's largest democracy. While stakeholders are keeping their fingers crossed, the suggestion that the IPL be postponed has caused huge concern.

 

Sashi Sinha, CEO of Lodestar Universal, said, "Fifteen to twenty days won't make much of a difference. People buy well in advance, they plan their strategies, they plan their campaigns, they plan their ground events, activations, all the build-ups, promotions. So that won't be a major problem. But if it gets postponed indefinitely then there's going to be a problem for two reasons. One is people have locked in all their plans. Secondly, because of IPL all other channels were going low key at that point in time. So be the general entertainment that pick up maximum amount of advertising. They didn't want to compete with IPL. So all their regular soaps, all their big properties were not there.

 

Companies that have tightened marketing budgets had earmarked spends to make a splash on the IPL given its huge popularity last year. Set Max--the channel that will broadcast the 59 matches that were scheduled to start on April 10 and run up to May 24, says it has already sold 60-65% of its ad inventory and signed on four presenting sponsors. IPL ad revenues this year were projected as 70% higher than the revenues last year. A few weeks ago optimistic about the prospects this is what the broadcaster was planning.

 

Rohit Gupta, President, Multi Screen Media said, "The rates are substantially higher than what we did last year because last year nobody expected the property to do so well. So rates are very much in line with the ratings that came in last year and we have priced our sponsorship at Rs 4 lakh per 10 seconds. The spot rates would go as high as Rs 450,000 per 10 seconds--and that's a very positive response on this market.

 

It's not just ad revenues and marketing plans of industries ranging from consumer durables to telecom that will be affected. Tournament and team sponsors as well as team owners who have made fresh investments will be left in a lurch. What's worse is if the tournament is postponed chances of it being held this year are slim. As of now a Rs 1000 crore hang in balance.

 

Also read: Reschedule IPL matches clashing with poll dates: Home Min