$31.16 million is a colossal figure and this is what the IPL is going to lose out just ahead of the second Indian Premier League. Citing the reason of “contractual violation”, the Big TV has pulled out from the IPL contract and that comes as a severe blow for the recession-hit domestic cricket extravaganza.

With just over a month to go by, Indian Premier League takes the shape of a platform for corporate warfare. With three warring sides at each end, it has been turned into a dispute-triangle. If BCCI is on the top of the triangle, Ambani-owned Big TV and Sony TV are on the other two ends of the triangle. Sony’s contract with Airtel---a competitor of Reliance owned Big TV--- has landed it in soup. With Big TV accusing BCCI of contractual violation and BCCI threatening the Sony of termination of the contract, it is the television entertainment giant that seems to have hit the wall.

Here is a bit of history: BIG TV had signed a Rs 137-crore deal last year with the Board of Control for Cricket in India for on-ground partnership and for visibility at match venues. On the other hand, Sony had bought the Indian Premier League's telecast rights for US$ 1.02 billion and early this year, Sony sealed another deal with Airtel for on-air advertising, which implies that only Airtel's ads will be shown, in the DTH category, during the telecasts of the upcoming cricket tournament. Big TV also accused of discriminatory attitude on the part of Sony Entertainment Television while opting between Reliance and its competitor Airtel.

The controversy already claimed one resignation, and that is from SET’s CEO for years- Kunal Dasgupta. However as long as this news was out in the cricket circle, IPL chief Lalit Modi was quick to clarify that Indian Premier League has nothing to do with this resignation. “He was the first person to have believed in what we were doing and it is very sad for me to see him go…He will be surely missed”…an online cricket portal quoted him saying. Sundar Raman, the IPL CEO meanwhile informs the media that IPL is discussing with the cricket board for an early resolve of the dispute. Big TV which holds the first right of refusal for an on-air advertising deal, takes, on the other hand, a rather stern stand that a revival of contract with Indian Premier League will be a possibility only if all the original conditions are met.

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

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