Sony TV wins Sri Lanka cricket TV rights

Saturday, 11 July 2020 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Sony TV (Sony Pictures Network India), formerly Ten Sports, has won the television broadcasting rights for Sri Lanka cricket for three years, from 2020 to 2023.

The bids for broadcasting rights closed on Wednesday and the technical committee went into the process of evaluating it before taking a final decision. Sony TV was the sole bidder for the rights.

That Sri Lanka cricket has been able to persuade Sony TV during the current severe economic times the country and the rest of the world are going through due to COVID-19 pandemic is itself a personal triumph for the controlling body for the sport in the country, especially when rival cricket boards from Pakistan, West Indies, New Zealand, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe are struggling to find a broadcast partner.

The partnership also renews Sri Lanka cricket’s relationship with Sony TV (Ten Sports) which dates back to 2002.

Sri Lanka cricket will also benefit from Sony’s excellent track record of making payments on time, which is excellent. This plus point, added to Sony’s brand and broadcast reach, will certainly assist Sri Lanka cricket to get better value for ground rights and other sponsorships.

Sri Lanka cricket’s hierarchy, which is more or less is at the receiving end and hardly gets any kudos, should be congratulated on this occasion for pulling off what could be described as a coup d’état.