Will Bangladesh's IPL telecast ban impact revenue? Details here
What's the story
Bangladesh have imposed an indefinite ban on the telecast of Indian Premier League (IPL) matches, following Kolkata Knight Riders' decision to release Mustafizur Rahman. The move to terminate the Bangladesh pacer contract sparked outrage. It also led to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) requesting the ICC to shift their 2026 Men's T20 World Cup matches out of India over security concerns. Will the IPL telecast ban in Bangladesh affect the BCCI's revenue?
Revenue forecast
Experts predict minimal impact on BCCI's revenue
Industry experts have predicted that the ban will have a negligible effect on the BCCI's revenue and viewership. Santosh N, the D&P Advisory Services managing partner, told Business Standard that he doesn't see this move having a major impact. "It doesn't affect BCCI's revenue, nor does it change what the broadcaster would pay," he said. Notably, Mustafizur remains the only marquee Bangladesh player to have played actively in the recent IPL editions.
Viewership impact
TRA Research CEO echoes similar sentiments
N Chandramouli, the CEO of TRA Research, echoed Santosh's sentiments. He said that while Bangladesh has a strong cricket team, the broadcaster's revenue is unlikely to be affected by amplifying advertisements. "Any revenue loss will likely be offset by other brands stepping in. The IPL continues to grow, and existing sponsors may increase their advertising in the upcoming seasons," he added.
Media rights
BCCI's media rights cycle remains unaffected
As announced by the BCCI in 2022, the IPL's 2023-27 media rights are contractually valued at ₹48,390.32 crore, meaning that the ban won't affect any revenue in the short term. Bangladesh's right-holder T Sports reportedly holds IPL rights until 2027 under a deal. As per insiders, payments can't be stalled even if matches aren't aired. As per Brand Finance's Ajimon Francis, the net impact will be "less than 2%" if the ban persists.
Fallout
Mustafizur's IPL release leads to falloutÂ
Last week, the BCCI directed the Knight Riders to remove Mustafizur amid the ongoing India-Bangladesh diplomatic row. Responding to it, the BCB reportedly requested the ICC to shift Bangladesh's T20 World Cup matches to Sri Lanka. The fallout also resulted in the BCB banning the telecast of IPL 2026 in the country. Despite security concerns, the current T20 World Cup schedule remains intact with no official statement from the ICC.