New Delhi: Viacom18 Media Private Limited has acquired the media rights for the Women’s IPL for Rs 951 crore.
The media and entertainment company will hold the rights for five years, till 2027, and will pay Rs 7.09 crore per match to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The much-desired Women’s IPL (WIPL) is likely to take place in March for the first time after the Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa.
It is learnt that the BCCI will distribute 80 percent of the five-year revenue among the five franchises.
According to reports, Viacom 18 and Disney Star were the only two companies that showed up for the auction, of the eight that bought the tender. The winning bid was for both digital and linear TV and were sold worldwide, including in India.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah called the development “massive” for women’s cricket. He wrote on Twitter: “After pay equity, today’s bidding for media rights for Women’s IPL marks another historic mandate.”
“It’s a big and decisive step for empowerment of women’s cricket in India, which will ensure participation of women from all ages,” he posted.
Incidentally, Viacom18 and Disney Star acquired the media rights for the men’s IPL in June last year for Rs 48,390.5 crore (about USD 6.2 billion at the time), with a per-match worth of Rs 58 crore (USD 7.43 million approx). This mega deal is for five years.
The men’s rights were distributed over numerous categories and places over a three-day auction process, whereas the women’s rights had no basic price.
Shah said the Viacom deal would “revolutionize women’s cricket” globally. “I am really thrilled that we have had such an encouraging response for a league that will revolutionize women’s cricket not just in India but across the globe,” he said in a statement.
“This is a commitment I had made to the board and our women cricketers and today we have taken one big leap. The broadcasters play a key role in taking the game to a wider audience and their active interest in the league is a clear indication that the Women’s Indian Premier League is headed in the right direction,” he said.
The BCCI has calculated a per-match value of Rs 7.09 crore for the first three seasons’ 22 matches, with a potential increase to 34 matches starting in 2026 when the BCCI may consider adding a sixth franchise based on the performance of the women’s IPL.
BCCI president Roger Binny said in a release, “Women’s cricket has been on the up since a few years and the recently concluded bilateral series against Australia is a great testament to how popular women’s cricket has become in India. It was only apt to get our own women’s T20 league and give the fans more of women’s cricket. I would also like to congratulate the BCCI leadership and its workforce for a successful media rights process and wish them the very best for the first edition of the Women’s IPL.”
The owners of men’s IPL franchises were among those who submitted bids for a team in the women’s IPL. The technical bids must be submitted for evaluation by the BCCI by January 23. The ownership rights would be for a ten-year period as opposed to the media rights’ five-year duration.
The five winners will be declared on 25 January. The BCCI currently has the sealed envelopes with the offers from organisations wishing to own teams.
BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla said, “I’m truly glad to witness a new dawn in women’s cricket today. The Women’s IPL would elevate the stature of women’s cricket across the globe and would groom talents at the grassroots level.”
Though official dates are yet to be announced, the first season of the women’s IPL is likely to take place from 5 March to 23 March. This is before the men’s edition of the league begins.
Also read: U19 T20 World Cup can ‘transform the landscape’ of women’s cricket: Sachin Tendulkar