IPL media rights bidding process put on hold

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has put off holding the bidding for the Indian Premiere League (IPL) media rights, which was scheduled for today, October 25, 2016. No revised date for the bidding process has been issued so far.

In a press statement issued late on Monday, BCCI offered its apologies to all potential bidders and stakeholders and stated, “The BCCI requests all bidders to appreciate that the events as have occurred were unforeseen and something over which the BCCI has no control.”

The development comes on the back of the Supreme Court judgement in the BCCI Vs Cricket Association of Bihar & Ors. case dated October 21, 2016, issuing the following directions in relation to tender processes being undertaken by the BCCI:

“(ii)(a) The Committee appointed by this Court is requested to appoint an independent auditor to scrutinise and audit the income received and expenditure incurred by BCCI; (b) The auditor shall also oversee the tendering process that will hereinafter be undertaken by BCCI, as well as the award of contracts above a threshold value to be fixed by the Committee; (c) The award of contracts by BCCI above the threshold fixed by the Committee shall be subject to the prior approval of the Committee; (d) The Committee shall be at liberty to obtain the advice of the auditors on the fairness of the tendering process which has been adopted by BCCI and in regard to all relevant facts and circumstances; (e) The Committee will determine whether a proposed contract above the threshold value should or should not be approved; and (f) The Committee will be at liberty to formulate the terms of engagement and reference to the auditors having regard to the above directions. BCCI shall defray the costs, charges and expenses of the auditors.”

The BCCI in its press statement further said, “In view of the aforesaid directions, as the Committee has been entrusted by the Hon’ble Supreme Court with the mandate of overseeing the tender process and in effect is now the custodian of the IPL tender process.”

The BCCI wrote to the Committee on October 21 itself, immediately after receiving the Judgment, inter alia seeking guidance on (a) whether to defer the IPL tender or (b) to cancel the same and (c) requesting that the name of the auditor appointed be intimated to the BCCI to ensure that he could be associated with the IPL tender. Further, BCCI has sent all the IPL Media Rights Tender documents to the Committee along with the revised MRAs and relevant documents, which are yet to be issued to the Potential Bidders.