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Bangladesh telecast ban unlikely to dent IPL revenues: Experts point to global demand of the league as safeguard
Experts believe Bangladesh's ban on IPL broadcasts will have minimal impact on BCCI's revenue and viewership.
Bangladesh has ordered an indefinite halt to IPL telecast in the country, a move linked to Kolkata Knight Riders releasing Mustafizur Rahman after the BCCI direction. The dispute has also spilled into ICC planning, with Bangladesh asking for its T20 World Cup fixtures to be shifted out of India to Sri Lanka.
The question of the league is simple: Does losing Bangladesh on broadcast dent the IPL’s business? Three industry voices quoted by Business Standard argue the near-term hit should be limited.
“I don’t see this move, banning IPL broadcasts in Bangladesh, having a big impact. It doesn’t affect BCCI’s revenue, nor does it change what the broadcaster would pay,” said Santosh N, managing partner at D&P Advisory Services, a valuation service provider, to Business Standard. He added that the viewership will likely remain largely unaffected, as only two or three Bangladeshi players have been active in the IPL in previous seasons.
Also Read: Bangladesh government orders suspension of IPL broadcast 'until further notice' as Mustafizur Rahman row deepens
N Chandramouli, chief executive officer of TRA Research, shared a similar view, saying that while Bangladesh has a noteworthy cricket team, the broadcaster’s revenue is unlikely to be affected. “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 said.
So what impact does the Bangladesh ban actually have?
On revenues, the immediate BCCI hit looks close to nil because the IPL’s 2023-27 media-rights cycle is contractually locked at INR 48,390.32 crore. Bangladesh’s right-holder T Sports is reported to hold the IPL rights until 2027 under a deal, with insiders saying payments are agreement-bound even if matches cannot be aired. Brand Finance’s Ajimon Francis has assessed the net impact as “less than 2%” if the ban persists, implying the sharper pain sits with Bangladesh-side ad inventory rather than the IPL’s core rights cheque.
