File photo of BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal (left) with secretary Jay Shah.
After successful hosting of IPL 2020, which culminated earlier this month in the UAE, Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) has revealed it has earned Rs 4,000 crore in revenue after the cash-rich league saw a significant rise in tv viewership as it became the first Indian sporting event to be telecast since the COVID-19 pandemic.
IPL was originally scheduled to begin on March 29 but was indefinitely postponed by the BCCI and finally had to move out to the UAE, where it was held behind closed doors from September 19 onwards. At that time, BCCI justified their move saying if not held in this window, the board and other stakeholders will suffer huge losses.
And now BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal has revealed that BCCI has earned Rs 4,000 crore as revenue in add the TV viewership made a 25 per cent rise when compared to IPL 2019.
“The Board managed to cut nearly 35 per cent of the cost as compared to the last IPL. We earned Rs 4,000 crore during the pandemic time. Our TV viewership went about 25 per cent higher, we got the highest-ever opening game (Mumbai Indians versus Chennai Super Kings) viewership. Those who doubted us came and thanked us for hosting the IPL. Had this IPL not happened, cricketers would have lost one year,” Dhumal said as quoted by the Indian Express.
The league spanned over 60 matches played across three venues in 53 days while around 30,000 COVID-19 tests for 1,800 individuals were conducted during the time span. Dhumal added that around 200 extra rooms were booked by the board to keep positive patients in isolation.
“In case we had any Covid cases, the board had blocked 200 rooms separately so that patients can be quarantined and only join once they have fully recovered,” Dhumal said.
