Last Updated:
Lalit Modi revealed he risked breaching Sony’s exclusivity for the IPL 2008 opener between KKR and RCB to boost viewership, sparking later legal battles.
Lalit Modi founded the Indian Premier League in 2008 (Picture credit: AFP)
Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi has claimed that on the day of the inaugural game of the tournament, between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, on April 18, 2008, he risked breaching the exclusivity agreement with broadcaster Sony by allowing other broadcasters/news channels to air it live.
Modi, who is currently living in exile in the UK, said that he was worried that if the first game flopped in terms of viewership, his career would die. So, believing that Sony didn’t have enough reach, he gambled on breaking the contract to guarantee buzz and eyeballs.
“Everything, everything was dependent on that one game,” Modi told former Australia captain Michael Clarke in a recent interview. “I broke every rule in the book that day. I signed the contract, an exclusive contract with Sony, but Sony didn’t have the reach. I said open the signal. Now it was available everywhere, right? And I told all the broadcasters who lost out, all of you, all news channels, go live. Sony said ‘I’ll sue you’. I said ‘Sue me later, forget about it? Ok, we are going live now because you don’t have the reach’. I needed everybody to watch the first game. If the first game had flopped, I was dead.”
There are not many media reports from the time to substantiate the claims. However, the IPL was a humongous success for both Sony and Modi, who was also a BCCI board member.
However, the same relationship became extremely controversial and part of a long-standing court case between the BCCI and Modi.
In March 2009, the BCCI abruptly terminated its broadcasting contract with Sony Entertainment Television (Multi Screen Media, MSM) and World Sports Group (WSG), citing alleged breaches. Soon after, Modi renegotiated the deal where Sony/MSM regained rights until 2017 for about 1.63 billion US dollars (around Rs. 8,200 crore), while WSG received a 425 crore rupees ‘facilitation fee’ for surrendering claims.
This payment triggered scrutiny as the BCCI claimed Modi acted beyond his powers by tweaking contracts and favoring WSG. Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the courts jumped in, and the case is a major part of the charges against Modi.
Read More
