The uncertainty over whether the Bangladesh-India series will be
broadcast in India ended a day before the first ODI, when the BCB
announced Star Sports will telecast the games. Gazi TV, who had claimed
the media rights until 2020, inked the deal on Saturday night.
Salahuddin Chowdhury, CFO and head of operations of Gazi Group, said
there had been an issue with "some terms and conditions," which
contributed to the delay. Bound by a non-disclosure agreement, he could
only offer that "Star will be broadcasting the first ODI tomorrow," and
will continue coverage for the next two.
Gazi TV had sought out Star and Sony Six to ensure the series was
available in India. But Star's bid of less than a million dollars had
been deemed too low and the World Cup left Sony Six with no space to fit
the series.
Nazmul Hassan, the BCB president, explained the weight an India series
carried while selling the media rights, and offered to lend some
assistance. "Gazi TV has written to us that they cannot find a buyer,
essentially a broadcaster for the India series. It is probably because
of the FIFA World Cup, as TV channels are running on a particular
schedule. The India series, according to our valuation makes up about 50
to 60% of the media rights."
The week-long tour to Bangladesh was announced only a month ago and,
with India resting marquee names like MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, interest
from broadcasters was low.
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