The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) sold its TV rights for 2021-2023 to marketing agency Ban Tech, who struck the deal with a price of BDT 161.5 crore ($19.07 million approx).
The BCB media and communication committee chairman Jalal Younus said that the company won the bid after quoting an offer price just above the $19 million floor price set by the board last month.
The Bangladesh-Sri Lanka ODI series, to be held in Dhaka next week, will be the first home series and under this deal, which runs up to October 2023, Ban Tech will broadcast all home series that includes seven Tests, 18 ODIs and 19 T20 Internationals for the time being. Gazi TV and T Sports will telecast those matches.
The number of matches however may increase as the BCB is trying to arrange some more bilateral series at home.
The amount is 5% less than BCB’s previous long-term broadcast deal with Gazi TV, which was $20.02 million for six years.
Jalal Younus disclosed that the BCB is still pleased with the deal, considering the pandemic period.
“Only Ban Tech took part in the process. They also bought TV rights in the last West Indies series. This time they have bought the TV rights for the next 28 months,” he said on Tuesday.
This money will include production costs. BCB will have production responsibility for better broadcasting, said AGM Sabbir, chief executive of Ban Tech.
“Thanks to the BCB for giving us this opportunity,” he said. “We bought the TV rights for the next (approximately) two and a half years. The rights, which were purchased for 19 million, include production costs. Basically, if BCB produces, it will maintain the quality, so they have the production rights.”
Sabbir said that they are confident to realizing the production cost despite the pandemic period.
“Cricket is going on even though pandemic hit the world hard. All of the cricketing nation create bio-bubble to host the bilateral series and BCB also hosted some series, creating a bio-bubble which is as strong as any country. So I am confident,” he added.
