The Cricket South Africa (CSA) intends to issue a joint Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the live broadcast of home international and SA20 matches in India.
Originally, the CSA expected to identify a buyer for the six-team competition, which would begin in January-February 2023. Moreover, the appearance of owners from the Indian Premier League (IPL) made it even more likely that a deal would strike but there wasn’t any response from the Indian broadcasters.
CSA and SA20 officials met with Indian companies such as Star India, Sony Pictures Networks, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises and Viacom, as well as many others, but, unlike the ILT20, which will be held in Dubai next January, they did not obtain much attention.
As a result, the CSA opted to merge their broadcasting rights with SA20, separating the September 8 RFP. It should be acknowledged that the rights to South Africa’s home matches in India are currently held by Star Sports and will expire at the end of the 2023-24 season.
ILT20 was able to secure Zee for their league, earning 12 million per season. That is by far the highest bid received by any foreign league in India. Regardless of the fact that SA20 has the added benefit of owners from IPL, the realisation that it clashes with ILT20 would be an area of concern for Indian broadcasters.