Looks like the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials have finally realised that the Indian public may be suffering from an overdose of cricket — and the solution to retain the novelty of the game — especially the shortest format — is to scrap the Champions League Twenty20.
A Mumbai Mirror report quotes an unnamed high-ranking official saying a review of the yearly tournament will take place during the IPL Governing Council meeting in Delhi on Sunday.
With the IPL being BCCI's primary money-maker, they don't need another tournament to take attention away from their most glittering product. With the CLT20, they have to share the profits with Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa. Also, it comes just two months after the IPL.
Even the broadcasters have developed cold feet with the CLT20. The report says that Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the tournament, has been losing about $100 million a year on the tournament. Viewership of the CLT20 barely registered above a flatline from the start and with Star bound to compete with Sony for IPL rights in the future, Star would rather save up for when that day comes, rather than lose money now.
CLT20 could get one last chance to prove itself though — and that would mean holding it in UAE or South Africa to generate more interest. The IPL was a big hit in both countries — but with so much cricket on the calendar, the BCCI would be smart to realise that CLT20 is a product the cricket calendar can do without.
A Mumbai Mirror report quotes an unnamed high-ranking official saying a review of the yearly tournament will take place during the IPL Governing Council meeting in Delhi on Sunday.
With the IPL being BCCI's primary money-maker, they don't need another tournament to take attention away from their most glittering product. With the CLT20, they have to share the profits with Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa. Also, it comes just two months after the IPL.
Even the broadcasters have developed cold feet with the CLT20. The report says that Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the tournament, has been losing about $100 million a year on the tournament. Viewership of the CLT20 barely registered above a flatline from the start and with Star bound to compete with Sony for IPL rights in the future, Star would rather save up for when that day comes, rather than lose money now.
CLT20 could get one last chance to prove itself though — and that would mean holding it in UAE or South Africa to generate more interest. The IPL was a big hit in both countries — but with so much cricket on the calendar, the BCCI would be smart to realise that CLT20 is a product the cricket calendar can do without.
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