The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has changed its policy and now allows consortiums to bid for media rights for the upcoming season. If earlier two media were not allowed to come together and make offers, now the board allows this to happen.
At the same time, this can lead to a huge increase in supply. Disney Star and Viacom18 are already expected to sell out, so bringing in third parties can only speed up the bidding process. However, it remains unclear whether Sony and Essel will come together and bid as one party. The conglomerate has long expressed its desire to form a unit, but it has not yet materialized. Due to legal disputes, their merger is constantly delayed. According to the latest update, the tentative end date for this merger is October 1st. But if they want to compete for media rights, the two conglomerates will have to act quickly. The auction is scheduled to take place on August 31, and proposals for technical evaluation must be submitted by August 28.