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ESPN-Star ready to telecast Pak series
A day after Zee Telefilms' proposal, rival ESPN-Star Sports has made a counter-offer to BCCI.
A day after Zee Telefilms' proposal, rival ESPN-Star Sports (ESS) on Wednesday made a counter "offer" to the Indian cricket board to produce and telecast the forthcoming India-Pakistan cricket series, agreeing to deposit all advertising revenues and share feed with public broadcaster Prasar Bharati.
In a letter addressed to BCCI president Ranbir Singh Mahendra, ESS managing director Rik Dovey said the sports broadcaster was ready to produce the series "in accordance with international standards and at a minimum as required by the BCCI's invitation to tender dated August 7, 2004."
Dovey said ESS was also ready to share the telecast feed with Prasar Bharati.
"Either the BCCI or ESS will provide to Prasar Bharati the right to telecast the above matches on terms acceptable to the BCCI," he said, inviting BCCI to jointly approach the Madras High Court with the proposal.
On advertising revenues, Dovey said: "ESS will deposit all advertising revenues which it receives following deduction of applicable agency commissions, any costs incurred and fees payable to Prasar Bharati in relation to its telecasts, any applicable taxes and mutually agreed production costs with BCCI."
Further, it said all figures were subject to audit by the independent auditors selected by the BCCI and acceptable to ESS.
ESS' letter follows a similar offer by Zee Telefilms to BCCI on Tuesday in which it said it was willing to telecast the series "without prejudice" to the contentions of the parties in the case.
Zee said it would deposit the entire advertisement revenue generated from the series both on their channel as well as Doordarshan with the BCCI along with the collection from international syndicate sales without deducting any sales commission.
