MUMBAI: Media and entertainment company Viacom18 has secured the Women’s Indian Premier League (IPL) media rights for the 2023-2027 cycle for a whopping Rs 951 crore, which means Rs 7.09 crore per match for the next five years. The BCCI will unveil the five WIPL franchises on January 25.
The news comes as a massive development for women’s cricket on Monday as the Women Indian Premier League (WIPL) media rights was auctioned. The news was confirmed by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah on his Twitter account on Monday.
“Congratulations @viacom18 for winning the Women’s @IPL media rights. Thank you for your faith in @BCCI and @BCCIWomen. Viacom has committed INR 951 crores which means per match value of INR 7.09 crores for next 5 years (2023-27). This is massive for Women’s Cricket,” Jay Shah tweeted on Monday.
The Women’s T20 Challenge was initially held as an exhibition tournament, but the BCCI last year eventually made the decision to introduce the WIPL, with the first season’s opening match scheduled for March. The BCCI has not officially released the tournament’s schedule, but it is widely believed that the first season, which will consist of 22 matches, will take place between March 5 and March 23.
Uncapped cricketers have been given two alternatives, while players with caps — those who have represented India or are currently on a central contract — can select either Rs 30 lakh, Rs 40 lakh, or Rs 50 lakh as their base pricing (Rs 10 lakh and Rs 20 lakh for uncapped players). Prior to the WIPL, the base price has been separated into five categories, ranging from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh. The registration cutoff date for the franchise auction is January 26. (ANI)