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IPL media rights hits jackpot!

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Sold for Rs 6.2 Billion USD, makes it the world’s No.2 league; Digital rights trump TV; Disney gets TV, Viacom 18 bags digital

THE THREE-DAY e-auction of media rights for the IPL’s 2023-2027 cycle has fetched the BCCI 6.2 Billion USDs, with Disney-Star bagging TV rights for the Indian subcontinent and Viacom18/ Reliance sweeping the digital segment.

The bidding was done on a per-game basis, which means the rights holders will collectively pay the cricket board Rs 118.02 crore per match for the next five-year cycle. Currently, there are 74 matches in every IPL season, and the number is likely to go up. Over a five-year period, the total number is going to be 410.

Disney-Star bagged Package A – TV rights for the Indian subcontinent – for Rs 3.02 Billion USDs.

Viacom18/ Reliance, which picked up Packages B and C, will pay the board Rs 3.04 Bn USD — B covers digital rights for the Indian subcontinent and C a unique bouquet of 18 matches per season with non-exclusive digital rights for the same region

Viacom18 and Times shared Package D — world rights for TV and digital — for 1.35 Bn USDs. To put these numbers in perspective, Star India had won the IPL media rights for the 2018-2022 cycle with a composite bid of Rs 2.09 Bn USDs that included both TV and digital, paying 6.9 Mn USDs per match.

This time, the IPL media rights value saw a three-fold increase with digital turning out to be the key component. After setting the combined base price at 4.2 Bn USDs, the BCCI expected a windfall in excess of 5.7 Bn USDs — and it wasn’t off the mark. Doing away with composite bids, with an eye on higher bids in the digital segment, marked the highlight of its business strategy.

“India has seen a digital revolution & the sector has endless potential. The digital landscape has changed the way cricket is watched. It has been a big factor in the growth of the game & the Digital India vision,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah tweeted after the e-auction.

The fourth edition of the Indian Over-the-Top (OTT) Platforms Report 2021 (post-pandemic consumption), published by MICA Ahmedabad this year, showed that digital subscriptions grew by 49 per cent. Consumption was highest among viewers aged 15-34 — an age-group that caters to the IPL’s die-hard fan base.

Then again, Disney-Star’s digital platform Hotstar was instrumental in bringing about the change, taking the game to consumers’ mobile phones. The move was masterminded by Uday Shankar, the erstwhile chairman-cum-CEO of Star India, who had pulled off a Packer-like coup in cricket broadcasting in 2017. Five years down the line, Shankar was on Viacom18/Reliance’s side as the company staved off Star’s aggressive bidding, it is learnt. “The BCCI will utilise the revenue generated from IPL to strengthen our domestic cricket structure starting from grassroots, to boost infrastructure and spruce up facilities across India and enrich the overall cricket-watching experience,” Shah posted.

“Now, it’s time for state associations, IPL franchises to work together with the IPL to enhance the fan experience and ensure that our biggest stakeholder — ‘the cricket fan’ is well looked after and enjoys high quality cricket in world-class facilities,” he wrote.

The BCCI has already announced a substantial hike in monthly pensions of former cricketers and umpires, benefiting around 900 personnel, with effect from June 1.

The Indian Express had reported before the auction that the IPL’s per-game value for the next cycle would trump the English Premier League and make it the No. 2 sports league in the world behind the National Football League (NFL). At $15.1 million per game (converted to US dollars), the IPL comfortably leapt past the Premier League, where the broadcasters pay around $11 million per match. Shah called it a “red-letter day for Indian cricket”.

But with cricket taken seriously as a commercial proposition in just about 10 countries, the big question is: will recouping the money be a problem?

“With 60 per cent of the current advertisers being start-ups and with the muted global funding mood, it will not be easy for broadcasters to recover the investment for at least an initial couple of years of the contract period…(They) may have to go through a rough period,” Himanshu Arora, co-founder of marketing and advertising agency Social Panga, told The Indian Express.

As for cricket, according to an IPL franchise executive, an exponential growth in media rights revenue is likely to increase the team purse also. At the moment, it has been set at 1.2 Mn USDs and 1.284 Mn USDs for the next two years.

Source: The Indian Express

IPL විකාශන අයිතිය කෝටි ගණනින් රැස්කරයි!

ඉදිරි වසර පහ රූපවාහිනි විකාශන සහ ඩිජිටල් අයිතිය හිමි අය එක් තරගයකට ඩොලර් මිලියන 1.5 ක් ක්‍රිකට් පාලක මණ්ඩලයට ගෙවනු ඇත.

අයි.පී.එල් T20 ක්‍රිකට් ඉදිරි වසර 5 සඳහා (2023 සිට 2027 දක්වා) විකාශන වෙන්දේසිය කෙරේ. ඉන්දීය ක්‍රිකට් පාලක මණ්ඩලය (BCCI) රූපවාහිනි සහ ඩිජිටල් බලපත්‍ර ලබා දීම සඳහා විද්‍යුත් වෙන්දේසියක් හරහා ඇමෙරිකානු ඩොලර් බිලියන 6.2ක් පමණ උපයා ගෙන ඇත.

පසුගිය ඉරිදා ආරම්භ වූ මෙම විද්‍යුත් වෙන්දේසිය සඳහා ප්‍රමුඛ පෙළේ සමාගම් රැසක් සහභාගී විය. බලාපොරොත්තු වූ පරිදිම මෙවර අයි.පී.එල්. ‘වටිනාකම’ අහස උසට නැග්ගා.

ක්‍රීඩාවක් පදනම් කරගෙන වෙන්දේසිය සිදු කර ඇත. ඒ කියන්නේ ඉදිරි වසර පහක ටී.වී. විකාශන සහ ඩිජිටල් අයිතිය හිමි අය එක් තරගයකට ඩොලර් මිලියන 1.5 ක් ක්‍රිකට් පාලක මණ්ඩලයට ගෙවනු ඇත. දැනට සෑම IPL තරග වාරයකම තරග 74ක් පැවැත්වෙන බැවින් එම සංඛ්‍යාව ඉහළ යාමට ඉඩ ඇත. වසර පහක කාලය තුළ මුළු තරගය සංඛ්‍යාව 410 කි.

ඩිස්නි-ස්ටාර් ඉන්දියානු උප මහද්වීපයේ රූපවාහිනී අයිතිය (පැකේජය A) ඩොලර් බිලියන 3.0 කට ලබා ගනී. Viacom 18 විසින් Package B සහ C Package ඩොලර් බිලියන 3.04 කට අත්පත් කර ගන්නා ලදී. B පැකේජයට ඉන්දියානු උපමහාද්වීපයට ඩිජිටල් හිමිකම් ඇතුළත් වේ. පැකේජය C යනු එම කලාපය සඳහාම සුවිශේෂී ඩිජිටල් හිමිකම් සහිත වාරයකට තරඟ 18ක් සහිත විශේෂ පැකේජයකි.

B පැකේජය එක සමාගමකට පවරාගෙන C පැකේජය තවත් සමාගමකට පවරා ගත්තොත් විකාශනය කිරීමේදී ගැටලු ඇති වෙනවා. මීට අමතරව, Package C යනු ආරම්භක තරගය, ප්ලේ-ඕෆ් සහ අවසන් තරඟ ඇතුළුව, එක් එක් වාරයේ නිශ්චිත ක්‍රීඩා 18ක් සඳහා ඉන්දියානු උපමහාද්වීපය සඳහා වූ සුවිශේෂී ඩිජිටල් බලපත්‍රය වේ. එබැවින් වෙන්දේසියේදී පරීක්ෂාවට ලක් වූ Viacom 18 විසින් මෙම පැකේජ දෙක අත්පත් කර ගන්නා ලදී. හැබැයි BCCI එක පැකේජ් සිස්ටම් එකේ මෙහෙම චෙක් එකක් තියාගෙන අයිතිය විකුණලා තියෙනවා.

අවසාන කොටස (පැකේජය D) යනු සෙසු ලෝකය සඳහා රූපවාහිනියයි. විකාශන සහ ඩිජිටල් බලපත්‍ර Viacom 18 සහ Times විසින් ඩොලර් මිලියන 13.5 කට බෙදා ගන්නා ලදී. මේ සියල්ල ඉලක්කම් ලෙස සඳහන් කළහොත් අයි.පී.එල්. T20 ක්‍රිකට් ඉදිරි වසර 5 සඳහා (2023 සිට 2027 දක්වා) විකාශය කෙරේ. විකාශන සහ ඩිජිටල් බලපත්‍ර යන දෙකම ඇතුළුව එක් තරගයකට ඇමෙරිකානු ඩොලර් මිලියන 6.4ක් ඩොලර් බිලියන 2.04ක් ගෙවා ස්ටාර් ඉන්ඩියා වෙන්දේසිය ජයගෙන ඇත.

මෙවර IPL විකාශන අයිතියේ වටිනාකම තුන් ගුණයකින් වැඩි වී ඩිජිටල් හරයක් බවට පත් විය. එක්සත් ජනපද ඩොලර් බිලියන 4.21 ක ඒකාබද්ධ මූලික මිලක් නියම කිරීමෙන් පසු, BCCI වෙන්දේසිය එක්සත් ජනපද ඩොලර් බිලියන 5.7 ඉක්මවා යනු ඇතැයි අපේක්ෂා කළේය. නමුත් BCCI බලාපොරොත්තු වූවාට වඩා වැඩි මුදලක් ලබා ගත්තා. විශේෂයෙන්ම ඩිජිටල් අංශයේ එය BCCI විසින් පුරෝකථනය කළ සංඛ්යාව ඉක්මවා ගියේය.

“ඉන්දියාව ඩිජිටල් විප්ලවයක් දැක ඇති අතර එම අංශයට නිමක් නැති ශක්තියක් ඇත. ඩිජිටල් භූ දර්ශනය ක්‍රිකට් බලන ආකාරය වෙනස් කර ඇත. මෙය ක්‍රීඩාවේ දියුණුවට සහ ඩිජිටල් ඉන්දියාවේ දැක්මට විශාල සාධකයක් විය, ”යැයි BCCI ලේකම් ජේ ෂා විද්‍යුත් වෙන්දේසියෙන් පසුව ට්වීට් කළේය.

MICA අහමදාබාද් විසින් මෙම වසරේ නිකුත් කරන ලද Indian Over-the-Top (OTT) වේදිකා වාර්තාව 2021 (පශ්චාත් ආසාදන පරිභෝජනය) හි සිව්වන සංස්කරණය පෙන්නුම් කරන්නේ ඩිජිටල් දායකත්වයන් සියයට 49 කින් වර්ධනය වී ඇති බවයි. වයස අවුරුදු 15-34 අතර ප්‍රේක්ෂකයින් අතර පරිභෝජනය ඉහළ මට්ටමක පැවතුනි – IPL හි උද්‍යෝගිමත් රසික පිරිසට සේවය කරන වයස් කාණ්ඩය ඉහළ ගොස් ඇති බව වාර්තාව පවසයි.

Disney-Hotstar ඩිජිටල් වේදිකාවේ මෙතරම් විශාල වෙනසක් ගෙන ඒම ගැන ආඩම්බර වේ. සමාගමේ සභාපති සහ ප්‍රධාන විධායක නිලධාරී උදය ශංකර් 2017 වසරේ ක්‍රිකට් විකාශන අයිතිය සඳහා තරඟ වදියි. ශංකර් මෙවර Viacom 18 සඳහාද එයම කර ඇත. ඔහු උපායමාර්ගිකයෙකු ලෙස කටයුතු කර වෙන්දේසිය අවසන් කර ඇත. ස්ටාර් සමාගම වෙන්දේසියේ දී වඩාත් ආක්‍රමණශීලී ලෙස ලංසු තබා ඇති බව දන්නා කරුණකි.

“IPL මගින් උපයන ආදායම BCCI විසින් අපගේ දේශීය ක්‍රිකට් යටිතල පහසුකම් ශක්තිමත් කිරීමට, යටිතල පහසුකම් වැඩිදියුණු කිරීමට, ඉන්දියාව පුරා පහසුකම් වැඩිදියුණු කිරීමට සහ සමස්ත ක්‍රිකට් නැරඹීමේ අත්දැකීම වැඩි දියුණු කිරීමට භාවිතා කරනු ඇත,” ෂෝ පැවසීය.

ඔහු වැඩිදුරටත් පැවසුවේ, “ප්‍රේක්ෂකයින්ගේ අත්දැකීම් වැඩිදියුණු කිරීමට සහ අපගේ විශාලතම හවුල්කරු වන ‘ක්‍රිකට් රසිකයා’ උසස් තත්ත්වයේ ක්‍රිකට් ගැන හොඳින් සැලකිලිමත් වන බව සහතික කිරීම සඳහා රාජ්‍ය සංගම් සහ IPL හිමිකරුවන් IPL සමඟ අත්වැල් බැඳ ගැනීමට කාලයයි. ලෝක මට්ටමේ පහසුකම්.” කාලයයි

හිටපු ක්‍රිකට් ක්‍රීඩකයන්ගේ සහ විනිසුරුවරුන්ගේ මාසික විශ්‍රාම වැටුප සැලකිය යුතු ලෙස වැඩි කිරීමට BCCI දැනටමත් නිවේදනය කර ඇත. සේවක සේවිකාවන් 900කට පමණ මෙයින් ප්‍රතිලාභ ලැබේ. මෙම යෝජනා ක්‍රමය ජුනි 1 වැනිදා සිට ක්‍රියාත්මක වන බව වාර්තා වේ.

මීළඟ චක්‍රය සඳහා IPL හි එක් ක්‍රීඩාවකට වටිනාකම ඉංග්‍රීසි ප්‍රිමියර් ලීගය පරාජය කර එය ජාතික පාපන්දු ලීගයට (NFL) පිටුපසින් ලොව අංක 2 ක්‍රීඩා ලීගය බවට පත් කරනු ඇති බව Indian Express  වෙන්දේසියට පෙර වාර්තා කර තිබුණි. එක් ක්‍රීඩාවකට ඩොලර් මිලියන 15.1 බැගින් (එක්සත් ජනපද ඩොලර් බවට පරිවර්තනය කරන ලදී), IPL ප්‍රිමියර් ලීගය පසුකර යාමට පහසු විය, එහිදී විකාශකයින් තරගයකට ඩොලර් මිලියන 11ක් පමණ ගෙවයි. ෂා එය හැඳින්වූයේ “ඉන්දියානු ක්‍රිකට් සඳහා රතු අකුරු දිනයක්” ලෙසිනි.

නමුත් රටවල් 10 ක පමණ වාණිජමය යෝජනාවක් ලෙස ක්‍රිකට් බැරෑරුම් ලෙස සලකන විට විශාල ප්‍රශ්නය වන්නේ: මුදල් ආපසු ගැනීම ගැටලුවක් ද?

“වර්තමාන වෙළඳ දැන්වීම්කරුවන්ගෙන් සියයට 60 ක් ආරම්භකයින් වීම සහ නිහඬ ගෝලීය අරමුදල් මනෝභාවය සමඟ, කොන්ත්‍රාත් කාල සීමාවේ අවම වශයෙන් ආරම්භක වසර කිහිපයක් සඳහා ආයෝජනය ආපසු ලබා ගැනීම විකාශකයින්ට පහසු නොවනු ඇත … (ඔවුන්ට) තිබිය හැක. රළු කාල පරිච්ඡේදයක් පසුකර යාමට,” අලෙවිකරණ සහ ප්‍රචාරණ ආයතනය වන Social Panga හි සම-නිර්මාතෘ Himanshu Arora The Indian Express වෙත පැවසීය.

ක්‍රිකට් සම්බන්ධයෙන් ගත් කල, IPL ෆ්‍රැන්චයිස් විධායකයෙකුට අනුව, මාධ්‍ය හිමිකම් ආදායමේ ඝාතීය වර්ධනයක් කණ්ඩායමේ පසුම්බිය ද වැඩි කිරීමට ඉඩ ඇත. මේ මොහොතේ, එය ඉදිරි වසර දෙක සඳහා ඩොලර් මිලියන 1.2 ක් සහ ඩොලර් මිලියන 1.284 ක් ලෙස සකසා ඇත.

මූලාශ්රය: ඉන්දියන් එක්ස්ප්රස්

ஐபிஎல் ஒளிபரப்பு உரிமை கோடிகளை குவித்தது!

அடுத்த ஐந்தாண்டு டி.வி. ஒளிபரப்பு மற்றும் டிஜிட்டல் உரிமையை வைத்திருப்பவர்கள் ஒரு போட்டிக்கு 1.5 மில்லியன் அமெரிக்க டாலர்கள் கிரிக்கெட் வாரியத்திற்குச் செலுத்துவார்கள்.

ஐ.பி.எல். டி20 கிரிக்கெட் போட்டிகளை அடுத்த 5 ஆண்டுக்கு (2023 முதல் 2027-ம் ஆண்டு வரை) டி.வி. ஒளிபரப்பு மற்றும் டிஜிட்டல் உரிமம் வழங்குவதற்கான மின்னணு ஏலம் மூலம் இந்திய கிரிக்கெட் கட்டுப்பாட்டு வாரியம் (பிசிசிஐ) சுமார் 6.2 பில்லியன் அமெரிக்க டாலர்கள் ஈட்டியுள்ளது.

கடந்த ஞாயிற்றுக்கிழமை தொடங்கிய இந்த மின்னணு ஏலத்தில் பல்வேறு முன்னணி நிறுவனங்கள் கலந்து கொண்டன. முன்னர் எதிர்பார்த்தபடியே இம்முறையும் ஐ.பி.எல். ‘மதிப்பு’ தாறுமாறாக எகிறியது.

ஏலம் ஒரு விளையாட்டின் அடிப்படையில் செய்யப்பட்டது. அதாவது அடுத்த ஐந்தாண்டு டி.வி. ஒளிபரப்பு மற்றும் டிஜிட்டல் உரிமையை வைத்திருப்பவர்கள் ஒரு போட்டிக்கு 1.5 மில்லியன் அமெரிக்க டாலர்கள் கிரிக்கெட் வாரியத்திற்குச் செலுத்துவார்கள். தற்போது, ​​ஒவ்வொரு ஐபிஎல் சீசனிலும் 74 போட்டிகள் நடைபெறுவதால், எண்ணிக்கை உயர வாய்ப்புள்ளது. ஐந்தாண்டு காலத்தில் மொத்த எண்ணிக்கை 410 ஆக இருக்கும்.

டிஸ்னி-ஸ்டார் நிறுவனம் இந்திய துணைக்கண்டத்திற்கான டிவி உரிமையை (பேக்கேஜ் ஏ) 3.0 பில்லியன் அமெரிக்க டாலர்கள் வாங்கியது. பேக்கேஜ் பி மற்றும் பேக்கேஜ் சி-யை வியாகாம் 18 நிறுவனம் 3.04 பில்லியன் அமெரிக்க டாலர்கள் வாங்கியுள்ளது. பேக்கேஜ் பி என்பது இந்திய துணைக்கண்டத்திற்கான டிஜிட்டல் உரிமைகளை உள்ளடக்கியது. பேக்கேஜ் சி என்பது அதே பிராந்தியத்திற்கான பிரத்தியேக டிஜிட்டல் உரிமைகளுடன் ஒரு சீசனுக்கு 18 போட்டிகள் கொண்ட சிறப்பு தொகுப்பு ஆகும்.

பேக்கேஜ் பி -யை ஒரு நிறுவனமும், பேக்கேஜ் சி-யை ஒரு நிறுவனமும் கைப்பற்றினால் ஒளிபரப்புவதில் சிக்கல் ஏற்படும். அதிலும் பேக்கேஜ் சி-யானது ஒவ்வொரு சீசனிலும் தொடக்க ஆட்டம், பிளே-ஆப், இறுதிப்போட்டி உள்பட குறிப்பிட்ட 18 ஆட்டங்களுக்குரிய இந்திய துணை கண்டத்துக்கான பிரத்யேக டிஜிட்டல் உரிமம் ஆகும். எனவே ஏலத்தின் போது சுதாரித்து கொண்ட வியாகாம் 18 நிறுவனம் அந்த இரண்டு பேக்கேஜ்களையும் கைப்பற்றி விட்டது. ஆனால், பேக்கேஜ் முறையில் இப்படி ஒரு செக் வைத்து உரிமைத்தை விற்று கள்ளா கட்டியுள்ளது பிசிசிஐ.

கடைசி பிரிவான (பேக்கேஜ் டி) எஞ்சிய உலக நாடுகளுக்கான டி.வி. ஒளிபரப்பு மற்றும் டிஜிட்டல் உரிமத்தை வியாகாம் 18 மற்றும் டைம்ஸ் நிறுவங்கள் 13.5 மில்லியன் அமெரிக்க டாலர்கள் பகிர்ந்துள்ளன. இவையனைத்தையும் எண்களாக குறிப்பிட்டோமானால், ஐ.பி.எல். டி20 கிரிக்கெட் போட்டிகளை அடுத்த 5 ஆண்டுக்கு (2023 முதல் 2027-ம் ஆண்டு வரை) டி.வி. ஒளிபரப்பு மற்றும் டிஜிட்டல் உரிமம் இரண்டையும் சேர்த்து 2.04 பில்லியன் அமெரிக்க டாலர்கள் ஒரு போட்டிக்கு 6.9 மில்லியன் அமெரிக்க டாலர்கள் செலுத்தி ஸ்டார் இந்தியா ஏலத்தில் வென்றுள்ளது.

இந்த முறை, ஐபிஎல் ஒளிபரப்பு உரிமைகள் மதிப்பு மூன்று மடங்கு அதிகரித்து, டிஜிட்டல் முக்கிய அங்கமாக மாறி இருந்தது. ஒருங்கிணைந்த அடிப்படை விலையை 4.21 பில்லியன் அமெரிக்க டாலர்கள் நிர்ணயித்த பிறகு, பிசிசிஐ 5.7 பில்லியன் அமெரிக்க டாலர்கள் மேல் ஏலம் செல்லும் என்று எதிர்பார்த்தது. ஆனால் எதிர்பார்த்ததை அதிமாகவே பிசிசிஐக்கு கிடைத்துள்ளது. குறிப்பாக டிஜிட்டல் பிரிவில் பிசிசிஐ கணித்த எண்ணை தாண்டியது.

“இந்தியா ஒரு டிஜிட்டல் புரட்சியைக் கண்டுள்ளது மற்றும் இந்தத் துறைக்கு முடிவில்லா ஆற்றல் உள்ளது. டிஜிட்டல் நிலப்பரப்பு கிரிக்கெட் பார்க்கும் முறையை மாற்றிவிட்டது. இது விளையாட்டின் வளர்ச்சிக்கும் டிஜிட்டல் இந்தியா பார்வைக்கும் ஒரு பெரிய காரணியாக இருந்தது,” என்று பிசிசிஐ செயலாளர் ஜெய் ஷா மின்-ஏலத்திற்குப் பிறகு ட்வீட் செய்துள்ளார்.

இந்த ஆண்டு MICA அகமதாபாத் வெளியிட்ட இந்தியன் ஓவர்-தி-டாப் (OTT) பிளாட்ஃபார்ம்கள் அறிக்கை 2021 (தொற்றுக்குப் பிந்தைய நுகர்வு) இன் நான்காவது பதிப்பு, டிஜிட்டல் சந்தாக்கள் 49 சதவீதம் வளர்ச்சியடைந்துள்ளது என்பதைக் காட்டுகிறது. 15-34 வயதிற்குட்பட்ட பார்வையாளர்களிடையே நுகர்வு அதிகமாக இருந்தது – ஐபிஎல்-ன் தீவிர ரசிகர் பட்டாளத்தை பூர்த்தி செய்யும் வயதுக் குழு அதிகரித்துள்ளது என்றும் அந்த அறிக்கையில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

டிஜிட்டல் பிளாட்ஃபார்மில் பெரிய மாற்றத்தை கொண்டு வந்த பெருமை டிஸ்னி-ஹாட்ஸ்டார்யே சாரும். அந்நிறுவனத்தின் தலைவர் மற்றும் தலைமை நிர்வாக அதிகாரியான உதய் ஷங்கர் கடந்த 2017ல் கிரிக்கெட் ஒளிபரப்பு உரிமையை பெறுவதில் படுமும்முரம் காட்டினார். அதையே இம்முறை வியாகாம் 18 நிறுவனத்திற்காக செய்துள்ளார் ஷங்கர். அவர் தந்திரவாதியாக செயல்பட்டு ஏலத்தை முடித்து வைத்துள்ளார். ஸ்டார் நிறுவனம் மிகவும் ஆக்ரோஷமான ஏலத்தில் களமாடியதாக அறியப்படுகிறது.

“ஐபிஎல் மூலம் கிடைக்கும் வருவாயை அடிமட்டத்தில் இருந்து தொடங்கி நமது உள்நாட்டு கிரிக்கெட் கட்டமைப்பை வலுப்படுத்தவும், உள்கட்டமைப்பை அதிகரிக்கவும், இந்தியா முழுவதும் வசதிகளை மேம்படுத்தவும், ஒட்டுமொத்த கிரிக்கெட் பார்க்கும் அனுபவத்தை வளப்படுத்தவும் பிசிசிஐ பயன்படுத்தும்” என்று ஷா பதிவிட்டுள்ளார்.

மேலும் அவர் “இப்போது, ​​மாநில சங்கங்கள், ஐபிஎல் உரிமையாளர்கள் ஐபிஎல் உடன் இணைந்து ரசிகர்களின் அனுபவத்தை மேம்படுத்துவதற்கும், எங்களின் மிகப்பெரிய பங்குதாரரான ‘கிரிக்கெட் ரசிகன்’ உலகத்தரம் வாய்ந்த வசதிகளில் உயர்தர கிரிக்கெட்டை நன்கு கவனித்து, அனுபவிப்பதை உறுதிசெய்யும் நேரம் இது.” என்று தெரிவித்து இருந்தார்.

பிசிசிஐ ஏற்கனவே முன்னாள் கிரிக்கெட் வீரர்கள் மற்றும் நடுவர்களின் மாதாந்திர ஓய்வூதியத்தில் கணிசமான உயர்வை அறிவித்துள்ளது. இதன் மூலம் சுமார் 900 பணியாளர்கள் பயனடைவார்கள். இந்த திட்டம் ஜூன் 1 முதல் அமலுக்கு வரும் என்று தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இந்தியன் எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் ஏலத்திற்கு முன், ஐபிஎல்லின் அடுத்த 5 ஆண்டுக்கான ஒரு ஆட்டத்தின் மதிப்பு இங்கிலீஷ் பிரீமியர் லீக்கைத் தள்ளி, தேசிய கால்பந்து லீக்கிற்கு (NFL) பின் உலகின் நம்பர் 2 ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் லீக்கை உருவாக்கும் என்று தெரிவித்திருந்தது. அங்கு ஒளிபரப்பாளர்கள் ஒரு போட்டிக்கு 11 மில்லியன் டாலர்கள் செலுத்துகிறார்கள். ஆனால் நேற்றை ஏல முடிவில் ஒரு ஆட்டத்திற்கு 15.1 மில்லியன் டாலர்களை ஐபிஎல் பிரீமியர் லீக் ஒளிபரப்பாளர்கள் செலுத்த இருக்கிறார்கள். ஷா இதை “இந்திய கிரிக்கெட்டின் சிவப்பு எழுத்து நாள்” என்று அழைத்திருந்தார்.

ஆனால் சுமார் 10 நாடுகளில் கிரிக்கெட் ஒரு வணிக முன்மொழிவாக தீவிரமாக எடுத்துக் கொள்ளப்படுவதால், பெரிய கேள்வி என்னவென்றால்: பணத்தை திரும்பப் பெறுவது ஒரு பிரச்சனையாக இருக்குமா? என்பது தான்.

“தற்போதைய விளம்பரதாரர்களில் 60 சதவீதம் பேர் ஸ்டார்ட்-அப்களாகவும், உலகளாவிய நிதியுதவியின் முடக்கப்பட்ட மனநிலையுடனும் இருப்பதால், ஒப்பந்தக் காலத்தின் தொடக்கத்தில் ஓரிரு ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முதலீட்டை மீட்டெடுப்பது ஒளிபரப்பாளர்களுக்கு எளிதாக இருக்காது…(அவர்கள்) ஒரு கடினமான காலகட்டத்தை கடக்க வேண்டும்,” என சமூக பங்கா சந்தைப்படுத்தல் மற்றும் விளம்பரப்படுத்தல் நிறுவனத்தின் இணை நிறுவனர் ஹிமான்ஷு அரோரா தி இந்தியன் எக்ஸ்பிரஸ்ஸிடம் தெரிவித்தார்.

கிரிக்கெட்டைப் பொறுத்தவரை, ஐபிஎல் உரிமையாளரின் நிர்வாகியின் கூற்றுப்படி, ஒளிபரப்பு உரிமைகள் வருவாயில் அபரிமிதமான வளர்ச்சியானது அணியின் பர்ஸை அதிகரிக்க வாய்ப்புள்ளது. தற்போது, ​​95 கோடியாகவும், அடுத்த இரண்டு ஆண்டுகளுக்கு 1.2 மில்லியன் அமெரிக்க டாலர்கள் நிர்ணயிக்கப்பட்ட வாய்ப்புள்ளது என்று குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்கள்.

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Football

Exclusive: FIFA Fines Sri Lankan Footballer Over “Free Palestine” Message

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2 days ago

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August 3, 2025

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Colombo – June 13
Sri Lankan national footballer Mohamed Thilham, who recently made headlines after displaying a “PRAY FOR FREE PALESTINE” message on his undershirt during post-match celebrations, has now been officially penalized by international football authorities.

Following Sri Lanka’s 3-1 victory over Chinese Taipei in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers on June 10 at the Colombo Racecourse Stadium, Thilham—a non-playing substitute—unveiled the message, drawing both praise and criticism from various quarters.

⚠️ FIFA Sanctions Player with USD 2,000 Fine

FIFA, in coordination with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), has now issued a formal disciplinary notice to the player, imposing a USD 2,000 fine. This letter, according to sources within the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL), was sent directly to Thilham, bypassing the FFSL and underscoring FIFA’s stance on politically charged expressions at official matches.

According to FIFA’s Disciplinary Code, players are prohibited from displaying political, religious, or personal slogans during matches or official ceremonies. While Thilham’s gesture occurred after the final whistle, FIFA and AFC treat any action within the stadium environment as part of official conduct.

⚽ FFSL Under Scrutiny for Disciplinary Action

FFSL President Jaswar Umar previously stated that the act “was not authorized by the federation” and “violates international football disciplinary norms.” He also confirmed that the FFSL would take internal disciplinary action against the player.

However, this incident has reignited public debate over the role of athletes in social advocacy and the limits imposed by international sports law. While some supporters see Thilham’s actions as courageous and morally driven, others have raised concerns about the player’s career stability and future opportunities under increasing scrutiny.

📝 Editorial Insight

At Sri Lankan Sports TV, we initially chose to withhold the content of the message in our match coverage—out of responsibility to the player’s career and to respect global sports protocol. However, the message went viral after several social media users circulated the full image, seemingly with the intention of sparking controversy.

The resulting spotlight has unfortunately led to a formal penalty, underscoring the real-world consequences that athletes may face when international regulations intersect with personal conviction.

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Football

Part 2: FIFA Funds Squandered – Inside the Financial Collapse of Sri Lanka Football

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2 weeks ago

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July 25, 2025

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In continuation of Sri Lankan Sports TV’s exclusive coverage of the Kusala Sarojini Inquiry Report, this feature focuses on the financial irregularities uncovered within the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL)—which played a central role in the nation’s football crisis.

The Special Inquiry Committee, chaired by Retired High Court Judge Mrs. Kusala Sarojini Weerawardena, exposes how over a decade of misusing FIFA and AFC development funds directly contributed to the collapse of Sri Lankan football.

“It could be observed that financial procedure which follows proper methodology has not been maintained in the Football Federation of Sri Lanka since before 2014.”
— FIFA Sri Lanka Inquiry Report (2023)

Millions in Global Funding – Little to Show on the Pitch

Between 2018 and 2022, the FFSL received consistent international grants, including:

  • USD 500,000 annually from FIFA
  • USD 500,000 annually from the AFC
  • USD 100,000 annually for equipment purchases
  • USD 200,000 for air tickets for international competitions
  • COVID emergency funding during 2021 and 2022

However, the report confirms that most of these funds were misused or misappropriated, with little to no investment in grassroots development or player welfare.

“Although FFSL had a Chartered Accountant, the financial powers were concentrated among elected officials, and payments were made without transparency, contrary to proper accounting practices.”
— Sri Lanka Inquiry Report, p. 10

Highlights of Financial Mismanagement

Ticket Scandals & Undocumented Spending

  • Rs. 16 million was spent on 230 Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 tickets, but:
    • No records of buyers
    • No receipts
    • No profits to FFSL
  • Rs. 12 million paid for footballs that were never delivered; transaction done via WhatsApp—no contract or supplier identified

“Not only were proper procurement methods not followed, in many cases there was no documentation at all.”
— Inquiry Committee

Reckless Dollar Transfers Amid National Crisis

  • During Sri Lanka’s 2022 dollar shortage, FFSL moved USD 500,000 to a rupee account without Executive Committee approval, causing an estimated loss of Rs. 75 million.

“Transfer of dollars without a justifiable need during a high exchange rate period inflicted a significant financial loss on the Federation.”
— Report Section: Financial Control

Crony Contracts & Fake Tenders

  • Catering contracts were awarded to individuals connected to former FFSL executives without calling quotations.
  • In most instances, approvals were made based on verbal instructions or internal memos, bypassing required board procedures.

Ghost Coaches, Unused Staff

A coach hired for the U-23 national team was paid Rs. 200,000/month, even though no team was ever formed.

  • “Coordination officers” across Sri Lanka were paid monthly with no service rendered.
  • PAYE taxes were paid (Rs. 3.3 million) for foreign coaches with no clear deliverables.

“Despite making these payments, youth development remained stagnant and the national teams were not properly formed or trained.”
— Committee Observation

Rs. 100 Million Used as Election Bribe?

  • A Rs. 100 million fixed deposit—intended as a financial reserve—was used to send 73 league officials to Malaysia, allegedly in exchange for future votes.

“This action was considered as a bribe given to them with the purpose of getting votes in the future.”
— Page 11, Report

A System Without Checks

The Committee notes that former FFSL President Mr. Jaswar Umaru Lebbe held dual powers as President and Chairman of the Finance Committee, enabling unchecked control over finances.

“This situation was extremely inappropriate and harmful.”
— Inquiry Report, p. 16

Payments were routinely authorized by Mr. Jaswar and a few close allies, without proper board oversight or documentation.

The Fallout – A Sport in Decline

As a result of this mismanagement:

  • Sri Lanka’s men’s team plummeted to 207th in FIFA rankings by 2022
  • FFSL was suspended by FIFA in January 2023
  • National youth programs, women’s football, futsal, and coaching development were completely inactive

A Glimmer of Recovery – Ranking Now 196th

Since early 2023, now, Sri Lanka’s FIFA ranking has climbed to 196th—a 10-place improvement. However, the report warns that structural reform is essential to ensure this progress is not lost.

“Financial control and administration must be independent, transparent, and free from political interference.”
— Official Recommendation by Kusala Sarojini-led Committee

What Must Happen Now?

The committee strongly recommends:

  1. Forensic audit of FFSL finances since 2012
  2. Criminal complaints under Sections 386, 389, and 403 of the Penal Code
  3. Legal reform to prevent future abuse:
    • Term limits for officials
    • Ban on combining finance and executive powers
    • Mandatory procurement audits
  4. Quarterly public financial disclosures

“A system must be developed to prevent elected officials from having unilateral control over funds.”
— Report, p. 17

The Final Word

The Inquiry, led by Justice Kusala Sarojini, leaves no doubt:
Sri Lanka’s football didn’t fail from a lack of funds—it failed because those funds were looted by those entrusted to protect the game.

“If transparency, legal action, and governance reform are not implemented, this country’s football will have no future.”
— Inquiry Report, Final Section

Coming Up in Part 3:
How fake leagues, ghost clubs, and vote-buying tactics poisoned the electoral system of Sri Lankan football.

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Football

Kusala Sarojini report exposses Massive Mismanagement Uncovered in Sri Lanka Football Federation

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2 weeks ago

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July 20, 2025

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A Special Inquiry Committee appointed by the Ministry of Sports has uncovered widespread financial mismanagement, administrative irregularities, and systemic corruption within the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL), leading to the country’s lowest-ever FIFA ranking

In response to years of growing concerns over the decline of football in Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs appointed a Special Inquiry Committee in February 2023 to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the activities of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL).

This move followed Sri Lanka’s suspension by FIFA in January 2023 and decades of complaints from players, clubs, and stakeholders regarding alleged corruption, mismanagement, and irregular financial practices within the FFSL.

Who Conducted the Report?

The five-member Special Inquiry Committee was appointed by the then Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Hon. Roshan Ranasinghe, under powers granted by the Sports Act No. 25 of 1973. The panel was tasked with submitting a report within two months on key areas, including:

  • The delay in adopting a new constitution (requested by FIFA and AFC since 2014),
  • Misuse of funds and financial malpractice from 2018 onwards,
  • The proliferation of fake leagues for vote manipulation,
  • Irregularities in staff recruitment, administration, and tournament operations,
  • Recommendations for the reform and development of football in Sri Lanka.

Members of the Inquiry Committee:

  1. Mrs. Sarojini Kusala Weerawardena – Retired High Court Judge (Chairperson)
  2. Mr. Kingsley Fernando – Former Ministry Secretary
  3. Mr. Sudath Nagahamulla – Retired DIG of Police
  4. Mr. Ananda Peiris – Retired Rear Admiral
  5. Mr. Susil Rohan Ramanayake – Independent member
  • Secretary to the Committee: Miss Shalini Roshana Fernando (Attorney-at-Law)

The Committee reviewed financial records, procurement practices, testimonies from over 20 witnesses including former FFSL presidents, accountants, players, and ministry officials, and scrutinized evidence from internal audits and third-party reports.

Ignored Reforms and Illegal Governance

  • FIFA and AFC requested constitutional reforms in 2014, but FFSL officials deliberately delayed it for nearly a decade.
  • The constitution was only passed on 22 September 2022, by an executive committee whose term had already expired.
  • A Special General Meeting was conducted without legal authority, making the constitution null under Sri Lankan law.
  • The 2021 FFSL elections were held without proper procedures, violating both local and FIFA rules.
  • The Committee noted that officials used COVID-19 as a cover, despite holding Zoom meetings and going on foreign trips.

💸 Financial Misuse on a Shocking Scale

The Committee uncovered extensive financial misconduct by successive FFSL administrations:

📉 International Grants Misused

  • FFSL annually received:
    • USD 500,000 from FIFA
    • USD 500,000 from AFC
    • USD 100,000 for equipment
    • USD 200,000 for air travel
  • Despite these funds, there was no youth football development or improvement in player welfare.

Key Financial Irregularities

  • Rs. 3,500 per cake was spent in 2014 during meetings.
  • Rs. 100 million paid to LSR Company, linked to a politician, without tender for the 2021 Four Nations Tournament.
  • USD 500,000 transferred during Sri Lanka’s dollar crisis in 2022, leading to an estimated Rs. 75 million loss.
  • 230 World Cup 2022 tickets bought (Rs. 16 million), but no records on how or to whom they were sold.
  • 48 million rupees fraud by a former FFSL officer (2013–2017) is still under-investigated.
  • Salaries paid to inactive coaches and ghost staff, including a coach for the under-23 team, which was never formed.
  • Payments to family-linked companies, friends, and political allies for catering, security, and equipment—with no procurement process.

Fake Leagues and Electoral Fraud

  • FFSL created and sustained “nominal leagues” — inactive football clubs and leagues used only to secure votes during elections.
  • Over 80% of registered leagues were inactive, yet received funding and voting rights.
  • Fake leagues were used to rig elections in favour of certain office-bearers.
  • Active leagues were ignored, with limited support for player development.

National Team and Player Development in Ruins

  • Sri Lanka ranks 206th out of 211 globally and last in Asia (45th).
  • No structured inter-school tournaments or training systems exist.
  • Only two local tournaments were held from 2017 to 2022.
  • No youth football activity (U12, U14) was recorded in 2021.
  • 10 out of 27 national players have no full-time employment.
  • Coaches from abroad were hired without evaluation or contracts, with USD 6,000 monthly salaries.
  • The women’s national team ranks 155th out of 156 globally.

Committee Recommendations

The committee, chaired by retired High Court Judge Sarojini Kusala Weerawardena, made urgent recommendations:

Legal & Governance

  • Immediate forensic audit of FFSL finances.
  • Submit findings to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Fraud Investigation Division.
  • Amend the FFSL constitution to:
    • Limit office terms to 4 years max
    • Ban the President or Secretary from heading the Finance Committee
    • Introduce strong anti-fraud measures

Football Development

  • Establish youth training centers in all districts.
  • Make it mandatory for every league to support women’s football.
  • Create performance-based funding for leagues and clubs.
  • Collaborate with the Schools Football Association for age-level competitions (U12 to U20).
  • Launch at least 4 international tournaments per year for both men’s and women’s teams.

Transparency and Structure

  • Require regular audits, quarterly reporting, and transparent procurement processes.
  • Publish financial statements to all leagues every 3 months.
  • Ban fake leagues; allow only clubs that meet minimum standards to vote or receive funds.

Final Thought

The FIFA Inquiry Report is a damning reflection of how greed, corruption, and negligence ruined Sri Lanka’s football potential. The sport, once considered third most popular in the country, now languishes without direction. The way forward demands courageous reforms, fresh leadership, and strict accountability.

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