ECB could offer IPL franchises stakes in Hundred teams

[vayuu1]

The England & Wales Cricket Board is ready to offer IPL franchises a stake in Hundred teams and the Indian board a slice of Asian television rights in a bid to attract superstars such as Virat Kohli to play in the competition.

Talks between the ECB and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have been ongoing since before the pandemic but moved up a notch when Tom Harrison and Ian Watmore, the ECB’s chief executive and chairman, were in Ahmedabad during the pink ball Test last month.

It is understood the ECB are considering a number of potential partnership opportunities with India as they look to capitalise on a relationship with the game’s powerhouse that has never been stronger.

The options include: 

• The eight IPL franchises each taking a 25 per cent stake in an allocated Hundred team

• Giving the BCCI a revenue share of broadcast income in Asia, the value of which would correlate to Indian players appearing in the Hundred

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There have also been discussions within English cricket of IPL teams playing in England with Test grounds asking the ECB to provide more content as they look to recover from the financial losses of the Covid pandemic.

It is also expected that India players will be made available this summer for the women's Hundred, potentially paving the way for the men to follow in 2022.

• Why the Hundred is more important than ever to the future of English cricket

The pandemic delayed progress and it is unlikely any agreement will be possible before the start of this year’s inaugural Hundred. The talks last month in Ahmedabad, the first face to face meetings with India of Watmore's chairmanship, were wide ranging and covered more than just the Hundred. Nothing was finalised but further meetings are planned this summer when India are in England. 

Tickets for the Hundred will go on sale in April with the tournament starting at the Oval on July 21, just before England’s five Test series against India. The ECB hope the tournament will host full crowds, and with India here at the same time, they hope BCCI officials will see it as a potential investment opportunity.

For the ECB unlocking Indian players is seen as vital for attracting the south Asian audience as well as increasing recognition of the Hundred in India. 

It would only need one Indian player per team – so just eight overall – to give the competition a real lift and set it apart from other franchise tournaments around the world. 

IPL franchises Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders have already expressed an interest in buying into Hundred franchises, as revealed by Telegraph Sport. 

Could IPL franchises link up with English Hundred teams in the near future? CREDIT: AP/Rajanish Kakade 

Offering the BCCI a share of media rights in Asia is seen as another way to persuade them to provide India players. The ECB believes with Indian stars such as Kohli, Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant, the rights deal could be worth around £20 million a year in Asia alone. 

Talks between the boards started under Colin Graves and have accelerated since Sourav Ganguly became the secretary of the BCCI. He played for Lancashire and believes Indian players should be exposed to English conditions as part of their development.

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It was noticeable this week that Lancashire signed IPL star Shreyas Iyer for the Royal London Cup, a further sign of thawing relations between ECB and BCCI. More signings are expected with India likely to bring two squads to England this summer so they can play intra-squad matches before the World Test Championship final and five match Test series with England. Those not involved in the Test series will be encouraged to play county cricket. 

The Indian board has been reluctant to let its players appear in overseas tournaments for fear of diluting the IPL and helping a rival but the big three of England, India and Australia realise it is in their interest to work together on their own franchise tournaments.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported last week that Cricket Australia are now open to the potential of external investment in the Big Bash after a decade of going it alone. 

The cost of the Hundred competition currently sits on the ECB’s books and Harrison told a Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee last year that the budget for the competition in its first year would be £40 million. He said revenue would be £51 million and claimed a profit of £11 million. But this does not include the £1.3 million paid to each of the 18 counties with Harrison telling the committee it is a “dividend and not part of the P&L [profit and loss] of the tournament.”

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Harrison was accused by Julian Knight MP, chair of the DCMS committee, of a “huge gamble” by launching the Hundred. “There's been widespread disquiet over the advent of The Hundred and the fact there was a large outlay to bring it about. You've bet the house, effectively, on red and unfortunately, the casino is closed,” he said.

An ECB spokesman declined to comment.

[ShoonyaSifar]

Surprised why Hundred did not go for our players like Yuvraj, Raina, Dhoni and Yusuf. Three are retired and would have had no issues in getting a BCCI NOC. Even if they were paid a million each, the ROI would have been far higher.

[sage]

Don't teams like KKR already have franchises in other countries? Anything stopping that?

[sandeep]

CPL survives today because of Indian investment.  

 

Of course the ECB wants Indian money and Indian players for their mutant monstrosity.

 

BCCI should stay well clear of this crap.  

[raki05]

If situation eased out with pak, SRK , Nasirdeen Shah, Farhan Akhtar and Javed Akhtar  would buy their own psl teams.

[Global.Baba]

1 hour ago, sandeep said:

CPL survives today because of Indian investment.  

 

Of course the ECB wants Indian money and Indian players for their mutant monstrosity.

 

BCCI should stay well clear of this crap.  

Kaisa gujju hai re tu? 

 

This is a great business opportunity, how often Indian firms  get opportunity to expand and invest into other countries?

 

Sure if the returns are not attractive and this is a huge risk or more like handouts to ECB then you have a point and I think we have some of the shrewdest business brains in the world involved in the IPL. So don’t think they will be dumb to put money where they can potentially burn it. If that’s your objection, it’s fair but not for some nationalistic, Swadesi reasons.

 

China does it, America does it, Britain did it so great opportunity for Indian businessmen to get the entry into  other markets if this is true.

 

Who knows if they get involved in sports in countries like England, it might help Indian sports too by getting in some fresh ideas.

 

Lets not have this myopic vision. BCCI and businessmen involved in Indian cricket  have so much more potential.

Edited March 25, 2021 by Global.Baba

[neel roy]

Just 8 indian players: kohli pandya rohit pant rahul bumrah jadeja ashwin will bump up the profits by 100 perc.. all indian advertisers will line up.. huge Indian audience in india will gulp up 100 ( time difference will also help)..we will see cycle agarbathi sixes and kent waterpurifier catches.. basically it will be the second ipl for advertisers.. stadiums will be full.. you ll see srk zinta with fans in lords oval edgbaston..revenues will shoot up like crazy.. and if Pakistan players join 100 u can see babar azam pandya batting together.dream scenario for advertisers... main worry.. Injuries for indian players.. 

[Global.Baba]

22 minutes ago, sarchasm said:

 

Itni bakchodi kaise kar lete ho?

 

Indian firms get a LOT of opportunity to invest in Europe and US. They are actively sought after and welcomed. India probably ranks only after US/China as the biggest source of investment in the UK.

 

But crucially, read that article again. It isn't about investment but ECB sneakily asking for a chunk in the only game in cricketing town, the Indian TV market. They want to profit off the Indian market because their own domestic market isn't large enough. It'll be just another BBL at best.

who cares as long as Indian businesses also make money and Indian cricketers, broadcasters, technicians, analysts get more opportunities .
 

There is a lot of following for sports like soccer and basketball in urban India.  The hardcore cricket fan will try to catch up on most leagues including even PSL and T10 league once in a while. 
 

The consumer isn’t thinking oh there is Indian investment here I will watch  this or won’t watch this.  So why shouldn’t the Indian businessman invest here?

How  about promoting Kabaddi league or badminton league in one of the ads during this tournament because some of these businessmen have stake there as well?

 

I can only think of positives and 0 negatives from BCCI and Indian businesses investing in this.

 

China,Jewish billionaires, Saudi/Arab royal families, American billionaires all have stake in various soccer,NFL  and basketball teams. 
 

No wonder Indian narrative always gets lost because of our lack of presence in media. Sports is a very important tool and yes politics, economics,diplomacy and sports go hand in hand.

 

This is a chance for BCCI to be part of something novel and who knows if this thing takes off and since all eyes will be from India we might end up owning this entire thing like we do with cricket anyways.

 

As far as Indian firms being part of IT,Infrastructure, Pharma etc etc yes you are right. I apologize to all the deshbhakts for that miscommunication. I was talking about Indian firms presence in sports.

 

[sandeep]

42 minutes ago, sarchasm said:

 

Itni bakchodi kaise kar lete ho?

 

Indian firms get a LOT of opportunity to invest in Europe and US. They are actively sought after and welcomed. India probably ranks only after US/China as the biggest source of investment in the UK.

 

But crucially, read that article again. It isn't about investment but ECB sneakily asking for a chunk in the only game in cricketing town, the Indian TV market. They want to profit off the Indian market because their own domestic market isn't large enough. It'll be just another BBL at best.

I wrote against it, so he decided to argue for it. It's not complicated. 

[Global.Baba]

9 minutes ago, sarchasm said:

How do you type so much irrelevant nonsense, from one tangent to next, without ever concisely addressing the main point?

 

The main point being - Given the finite ad spend budget, why in the world would BCCI help ECB undermine its own product, i.e, IPL? 

because what if this thing takes off? BCCI had the same reservations about the T20 format, DRS etc. I am not saying Indian businessmen and BCCI should be all over this opportunity, I am saying if it’s a good investment opportunity why not?  You must be real fun at parties.

 

Where you on the board of block buster video when they refused to buy Netflix for a dime on a dollar back in the day.

Edited March 25, 2021 by Global.Baba

[Global.Baba]

10 minutes ago, sandeep said:

I wrote against it, so he decided to argue for it. It's not complicated. 

abbe yaar. There wasn’t anything personal there. Your post came across as you felt ECB are asking  for a handout from BCCI and that’s what I was responding to.

 

Why shouldn’t BCCI invest if they see a great ROI or long term benefits here just for some deluded national pride or something.

 

If that’s not what you meant, that’s ok, won’t apologize because apparently you like to keep track of those lol so I am sure I will say something worse in the future where I can use it and not feel bad about it.

[sandeep]

8 minutes ago, Global.Baba said:

Why shouldn’t BCCI invest if they see a great ROI or long term benefits

I don't see a viable case for 'great ROI' or long term benefits - apart from to the ECB.

 

Its great to throw such buzz words around without understanding the actual facts with all the details and complexities involved.

 

This isn't just about evaluating profit potential of 'investing' in a t20 team or league.  There are greater issues involved.  

 

Strategically, everything in cricket today is about the war for control of the annual calendar - for teams, leagues and the player availability that drives it.  

 

BCCI currently hosts the greatest T20 league by orders of magnitude, on the planet, and enjoys a de facto allocated exclusive window for it.  The ICC wants to cordon off maximum slices of the annual calendar for its "tournaments". They just tried to push through a measure requiring cricket countries and boards to provide their teams for 8 'world' events in 8 years.  The ECB currently controls the ICC and has been playing ruthless power politics against the BCCI for last 7+ years - and they have won thanks to the internal problems that BCCI was having at home.  Add to that, the BCCI is neither focused on the ICC 'long game', nor politically astute enough to navigate it successfully in the short-term.  

 

The ECB is not an ally - its an enemy.  Right now the CPL and BBL are small potato leagues each in their own little niches - If allowed, the ECB's league could potentially develop into a global challenger to the IPL's supremacy.  That's not in the IPL's interest or the BCCI's.  That long-term objective far overrides some crumbs of profit that can be milked from "investing' and getting some peanut ROI.  

 

In fact, I want the BCCI to schedule a '2nd IPL window' competing with the hundred - maybe held in the US and Canada - a 2 week IPL 'festival' of all-stars, or the top teams that qualify in the IPL playoffs get to play exhibition games in US/Canada and market their franchise 'brand'.  Make it an annual thing - the way the NFL play games in London and Mexico, and the way the NBA strategically expanded into Canada, and regularly plays games in places like China and India.  

 

I wrote about IPL expansion and adding IPL franchises based in Dubai and Colombo a few years back - I'm all for being ambitious and expanding globally to increase "ROI", but in a framework that retains Indian control over Indian assets - i.e. the players, the team brand, and the league.  

 

 

 

 

[Global.Baba]

3 minutes ago, sandeep said:

I don't see a viable case for 'great ROI' or long term benefits - apart from to the ECB.

 

Its great to throw such buzz words around without understanding the actual facts with all the details and complexities involved.

 

This isn't just about evaluating profit potential of 'investing' in a t20 team or league.  There are greater issues involved.  

 

Strategically, everything in cricket today is about the war for control of the annual calendar - for teams, leagues and the player availability that drives it.  

 

BCCI currently hosts the greatest T20 league by orders of magnitude, on the planet, and enjoys a de facto allocated exclusive window for it.  The ICC wants to cordon off maximum slices of the annual calendar for its "tournaments". They just tried to push through a measure requiring cricket countries and boards to provide their teams for 8 'world' events in 8 years.  The ECB currently controls the ICC and has been playing ruthless power politics against the BCCI for last 7+ years - and they have won thanks to the internal problems that BCCI was having at home.  Add to that, the BCCI is neither focused on the ICC 'long game', nor politically astute enough to navigate it successfully in the short-term.  

 

The ECB is not an ally - its an enemy.  Right now the CPL and BBL are small potato leagues each in their own little niches - If allowed, the ECB's league could potentially develop into a global challenger to the IPL's supremacy.  That's not in the IPL's interest or the BCCI's.  That long-term objective far overrides some crumbs of profit that can be milked from "investing' and getting some peanut ROI.  

 

In fact, I want the BCCI to schedule a '2nd IPL window' competing with the hundred - maybe held in the US and Canada - a 2 week IPL 'festival' of all-stars, or the top teams that qualify in the IPL playoffs get to play exhibition games in US/Canada and market their franchise 'brand'.  Make it an annual thing - the way the NFL play games in London and Mexico, and the way the NBA strategically expanded into Canada, and regularly plays games in places like China and India.  

 

I wrote about IPL expansion and adding IPL franchises based in Dubai and Colombo a few years back - I'm all for being ambitious and expanding globally to increase "ROI", but in a framework that retains Indian control over Indian assets - i.e. the players, the team brand, and the league.  

 

 

 

 

Just FYI, Indian businesses have investments in CPL and even in the recently concluded Srilanka league and T10 league.

 

So what’s the problem with investing alongside ECB?

 

 I am sure on paper it sounds more lucrative than a T10 league with over the hill players.

[sandeep]

31 minutes ago, sarchasm said:

 Well.

 

If it's a case of baba's concealed gay angst at play here then I will check myself out.

 

tbf, maybe its not that, and its just him being a childish simpleton unable to parse the business aspects beyond simple buzzwords and superficial 'profit' interpretations. Empty vessels make more noise, as you must be aware.

[sandeep]

46 minutes ago, Global.Baba said:

Just FYI, Indian businesses have investments in CPL and even in the recently concluded Srilanka league and T10 league.

 

So what’s the problem with investing alongside ECB?

 

 I am sure on paper it sounds more lucrative than a T10 league with over the hill players.

 

Because none of those investments have strings of 'player availability' attached, or strengthen a direct competitor.  Its about control, and ownership.  KKR gets to decide what they want to do to the "Trinbago" team, that is not the case with "minority" ownership stakes in the ECB's pseudo-cricket 'hundred' project.  

[Global.Baba]

10 minutes ago, sandeep said:

tbf, maybe its not that, and its just him being a childish simpleton unable to parse the business aspects beyond simple buzzwords and superficial 'profit' interpretations. Empty vessels make more noise, as you must be aware.

All of it  is  100% true. I will leave management/business gurus such as  you and sarchasm take these calls.

 

I am sure you have already given your findings/analysis/numbers etc to interested parties and BCCI. 
 

Their money their problem  Let them take the call. Apna kya jaata hai. It’s Just that I find nationalism induced in this stupid. Rest if it’s good or bad let the “full vessels” decide

Edited March 25, 2021 by Global.Baba

[sandeep]

6 minutes ago, Global.Baba said:

Just that I find nationalism induced in this stupid

nationalism has nothing to do with it - its all about prioritizing the long-term and more profitable strategic outcomes, over the small potatoes of profit.  

 

When you take a closer look at how leagues are setup, their ownership structures, their profit motives for trying to what they do, become very apparent.

 

 

Sorry I was a bit rude to you there, but chalk it up to the baggage between us created by the constant passive-aggressive needling that you traffic in, that only you 'laugh' at. 

Edited March 25, 2021 by sandeep

[Rasgulla]

As a cirkut fan I wanna see this. Don't care about business and all that crap

[RAZPOR]

That would be a stupid idea.

[Khota]

I will be very concerned about striking a deal with some who just came to buy tea and then decided to stay 200 years.