NEW DELHI: India's competition watchdog on Thursday fined the country's powerful cricket governing body Rs 52 crore ($8 million) over a multi-billion dollar broadcasting deal for the Indian Premier League.
The Competition Commission ruled that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the sector's wealthiest nationwide cricket body, abused its place by agreeing to broadcasters' calls for that it will not permit a rival to the IPL.
The commission ordered the BCCI to pay Rs 52 crore ($8 million) within 60 days. Sony Pictures Networks has held the rights because the IPL started in 2008.
But in a big coup, Rupert Murdoch's Star India channel in September purchased the rights for 2018-22 for $2.55 billion -- a 150 p.c increase at the previous deal -- confirming the league as some of the global's freshest sports homes.
The anti-trust commission made an initial ruling in 2013 that the BCCI's care for Sony was unlawful on account of a clause which averted the BCCI from permitting another 20-over league to compete with the IPL.
The cricket body received a court order forcing a evaluation of the case.
But the commission's new ruling got here to the similar conclusion and ordered the similar fantastic.
The BCCI had pleaded that bidders for the television deal had insisted at the no-competition clause.
"BCCI has not provided any justification as to how this self-imposed restriction of not organising, sanctioning, approving or supporting another T20 cricket event that will be competing with IPL, is connected to the interest of cricket," the competition commission mentioned on the other hand.
The commission mentioned that "in the absence of any plausible explanation" it had discovered that the clause was intended to "enhance the commercial interest of the bidders of broadcasting rights" and the revenues gained by BCCI.
In addition to the fantastic, the commission mentioned the BCCI will have to not position any "blanket restriction" at the organisation of professional leagues to rival the IPL.
The BCCI made no rapid comment at the fantastic. But the ruling is a brand new blow to the body that has been managed by a panel appointed by the Supreme Court in 2016 to reform it.
The BCCI has in recent times been riven by infighting and allegations of shady dealings.
The Competition Commission ruled that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the sector's wealthiest nationwide cricket body, abused its place by agreeing to broadcasters' calls for that it will not permit a rival to the IPL.
The commission ordered the BCCI to pay Rs 52 crore ($8 million) within 60 days. Sony Pictures Networks has held the rights because the IPL started in 2008.
But in a big coup, Rupert Murdoch's Star India channel in September purchased the rights for 2018-22 for $2.55 billion -- a 150 p.c increase at the previous deal -- confirming the league as some of the global's freshest sports homes.
The anti-trust commission made an initial ruling in 2013 that the BCCI's care for Sony was unlawful on account of a clause which averted the BCCI from permitting another 20-over league to compete with the IPL.
The cricket body received a court order forcing a evaluation of the case.
But the commission's new ruling got here to the similar conclusion and ordered the similar fantastic.
The BCCI had pleaded that bidders for the television deal had insisted at the no-competition clause.
"BCCI has not provided any justification as to how this self-imposed restriction of not organising, sanctioning, approving or supporting another T20 cricket event that will be competing with IPL, is connected to the interest of cricket," the competition commission mentioned on the other hand.
The commission mentioned that "in the absence of any plausible explanation" it had discovered that the clause was intended to "enhance the commercial interest of the bidders of broadcasting rights" and the revenues gained by BCCI.
In addition to the fantastic, the commission mentioned the BCCI will have to not position any "blanket restriction" at the organisation of professional leagues to rival the IPL.
The BCCI made no rapid comment at the fantastic. But the ruling is a brand new blow to the body that has been managed by a panel appointed by the Supreme Court in 2016 to reform it.
The BCCI has in recent times been riven by infighting and allegations of shady dealings.
BCCI fined Rs 52 crore by anti-trust panel
![BCCI fined Rs 52 crore by anti-trust panel]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
November 30, 2017
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