Sony bags Holland tri-series rights

Sony Entertainment Television has won the broadcast rights for the upcoming three-nation series to be held at Amstelveen in Holland. The tournament begins on August 21 and features India, Pakistan and Australia, who play each other once, with the top two entering the final.

Jagmohan Dalmiya, the BCCI's president, was delighted with the association, and acknowledged Sony's telecast work for last year's world cup. "We are also pleased that [Sony] Max will be showcasing the matches of this mega-series which, I am sure, will be enjoyed by as large an audience as that which watched the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003. I would look forward to competitive matches being played in this tournament."

While Sony has bagged the rights for the Holland tournament, this deal is viewed in India as a precursor to a bigger battle on the horizon; a fight for television rights of international matched in India. With a viewership running into hundreds of millions, the rights, which will last for five years, are a prize catch for television networks. And the BCCI, with an ever-present finger on the market pulse, is expected to raise a huge sum of money through them. Five years ago, the Indian board sold television rights to Prasar Bharati, the state-run broadcaster, for Rs 270 million ($59 million). And now, with India's improved performances and the wider viewer base, the rights are expected to be worth much more. According to the Financial Express, a newspaper in India, the value of the upcoming contract is expected to touch Rs 600-700 million ($130-150 million).