IPL 2020: Franchises share concerns as tournament approaches

As the popularity of the IPL keeps increasing, the franchises are keen on BCCI’s permission to play overseas.

The franchises have been seeking permission for a while now, but BCCI, for some reason, is not discussing the matter at length in its board meetings.

The BCCI gets a 20% share of whatever the franchises earn. If the franchises play overseas, it’s not only going to enhance their earnings, it will ultimately add to the earnings of the BCCI as well.

Secondly, it will promote IPL as a product in the markets which cricket has not been able to crack so far.

“Why not further the business plan and help franchises become international brands?” a franchise executive was quoted as saying by Times of India.

The franchises understand that there is no point playing in Test nations in the off-season because the audience would be more bothered about international cricket and the matches that the IPL franchises play might not get too much exposure.

But, if they play in countries like USA and Canada where people don’t necessarily watch a lot of international cricket, the matches played by IPL franchises might get a lot of exposure which will ultimately add to the brand value of the IPL.

Franchises demand stricter overrates

As reported by Times of India, the IPL franchises are also unhappy about the time most of the IPL games are finishing. The games start at 8 PM and ideally should be finishing around 11:20, but most of the games finish around 12 PM and the presentation ceremony takes place at 12:15 AM.

Presentation ceremonies allow the sponsors to get a lot of visibility, but if they take place at 12:15 AM, the visibility wouldn’t be there because a lot of people would have already switched the TV off.

The matches which take place on the working days have very high visibility till 11 PM, but it gradually goes down after that as people have to go to work the next day.

If the BCCI finds a way to somehow get the games and the presentation ceremonies done by 11:30 PM, it will go a long way in enhancing the visibility of the sponsors.

BCCI has refused to change the timings of the game, so the franchises reckon the board can, at least, hand stricter punishments to the captains for slow over-rates which will help games finish before 12.

Franchises concerned by PILs in Supreme Court

The franchises are also concerned about the fact that the PILs get filed in the Supreme Court on the matters related to the franchises, despite the fact that those matters are not necessarily public matters.

According to the franchises, they have an agreement with the BCCI and everything functions according to that agreement. Anything which has to be discussed, in relation to the franchises, has to be discussed between the parties concerned. It can’t always be taken to the Supreme Court.

“Supreme Court has to take note and this has to stop. IPL is a business model which runs on signed agreement between the parties concerned. Anybody can go to court, file a PIL over some random issue, the court picks it up and the media blows it up. It’s become a sort of a norm.” A source said.