Sep 13, 2008

Sport - BCCI to get 50% of Champions T20 League TV Rights Deal

MELBOURNE: It is windfall for the three founding members of Champions Twenty20 League after inking massive $ 975 million television rights deal with ESPN STAR but the Indian Cricket Board will be the biggest beneficiary with 50 per cent of the amount going to its coffers. According to media reports here, the three founding member boards -- BCCI, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa -- will share the 10-year deal amount with India getting half of it and CA and CSA pocketing 25 per cent each. "Cricket Australia will earn about 25 per cent of the figure, as will Cricket South Africa, while the game's major power-broker -- the Board of Control for Cricket in India -- takes the remaining half," a report in 'Sydney Morning Herald' said. The Champions Twenty20 League deal is the second biggest rights agreement this year after the $ 1 billion deal for 10 years for the outstandingly successful Indian Premier League. But the eight-day global Twenty20 league, which will be held from December 3 to 10, will become the highest value cricket tournament on a per game basis ever scheduled.

Eight teams, winners and runners-up of domestic Twenty20 competitions in India, Australia and South Africa, plus winners of 2008 Twenty20 championships from Pakistan and England have been invited to compete in the inaugural edition. Next year, 12 teams will compete and the tournament will extend to 16 days. Teams will vie for $ 6 million in prize money, with half awarded to the winner and a minimum $ 250,000 to each participant. India is expected to stage this year's tournament while venues in the United Arab Emirates are vying for hosting rights for next year and beyond.

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