Date:03/12/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/12/03/stories/2005120301380800.htm

Back Chennai rains play spoilsport; disappointment greater for Zee

Nithya Subramanian

New Delhi , Dec. 2

THE weather as expected played spoilsport in Chennai washing out the first day's play of the India-Sri Lanka test match, much to the displeasure of cricket lovers. But for Zee Sports, it has been a greater disappointment as the channel could not capitalise on its status as a broadcaster of test cricket of the highest level.

"Though the rains were expected, we are highly disappointed. Let's hope that there is some play tomorrow," said Mr Himanshu Mody, Business Head, Zee Sports. Zee's bagging the rights came as a surprise as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) under the previous President, Mr Jagmohan Dalmiya, had said the broadcaster did not fulfil the technical requirements and was hence ineligible.

After Thursday's late evening Board decision yesterday, the two broadcasters, Doordarshan and Zee Sports, decided to market the event independently. But interestingly, media planners said that the advertising rates offered by the two were more or less similar. "A 10-second spot on both the channels is being sold at Rs 50,000-60,000," they said.

According to Ms Vijayalaxmi Chhabra, Deputy Director General, Prasar Bharati, "Most of the advertisers for the test matches have been tied. These are mainly companies like Hindustan Lever, Hero Honda, Videocon and Indian Oil that have associated themselves with the just concluded one-day international matches."

However, she did agree that the advertiser interest in test matches is lower than one-day international (ODIs) matches. "I cannot say that all my inventory has been sold out. We are still in the process of doing so," she said. Unlike ODIs where 5,000-6,000 seconds of free commercial time are sold, in test matches, normally about 3,000 seconds are sold each day.

Meanwhile, media planners said Zee Sports has also started luring advertisers. "Since the interest in cricket is at present high due to the team's good performance, advertisers are open to associating with the sport. But Zee Sports is a relatively new channel and we are using these rainy days to make an informed judgment," said a Delhi-based media planner.

The advertising industry is concerned about the reach of the sports channel, as many cable service providers have not been offering it to households. Mr Mody, however, said, "Since yesterday's announcement, cable operators are asking us to supply more decoder boxes. It is just a matter of time and we hope to reach out to 30-35 million households during this cricket season."