Dish TV Pleads Against BCCI’s Decision To Grant IPL Broadcasting Rights To STAR
Aug 24, 2017 at 5:20 PM
Dish TV, the leader in the direct-to-home service category, has objected the allotment of the broadcast rights of the Indian Premier League to STAR network.
The telecast giant which is owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises has argued that the decision to grant such the right would create a perfect monopolistic situation in the digital broadcasting section which would eventually see the consumers pay a very hefty price for subscriptions.
Dish TV Pleads Unfair Advantage
Dish TV’s chairman and managing director Jawahar Goel has stated that “the cost for the consumers is likely to increase manifold because of the creation of ‘sole supplier’ monopoly in the market.”
He has addressed the issue to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, BCCI CEO Rahul Johri, Committee of Administrators head Vinod Rai, Competition Commission of India and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
Dish TV’s argument regarding the monopoly in the market stems from the fact that STAR already has rights to India’s home series, domestic cricket, all ICC tournaments, Asia Cup and home series with England, Australia, and Bangladesh.
Goel describes STAR’s acquisition of the IPL telecast rights as anti-consumer and anti-competitive.
“Such a situation would not only be anticompetitive but also anti-consumers.”
Anti-Consumer, Anti-Competitive Market
Goel wants the BCCI to keep consider these factors before awarding the IPL broadcasting.
“STAR is aiming to acquire the IPL cricket telecast rights also and thereby attain the status of ‘sole holder’ of the telecast rights of all the major cricketing events… The history of the media industry is witness to the fact that all the actions initiated by STAR till date have always been to economically concentrate the power through acquisition of cricket broadcast rights and thereby create a monopoly in the market to gain huge commercial advantage at the expense of the consumers and the distribution industry,” Goel alleged.
”In order to serve its long term objective of charging the exorbitant price for its sports channels containing cricketing content, STAR has challenged the authority/jurisdiction of TRAI itself to fix the price of TV channels and the matter is pending before the Hon’ble High Court of Judicature at Madras.”