Viacom 18 Bags Women’s IPL Media Rights At Rs 951 Crore; Higher Than Many National Leagues

Viacom18, won the media rights of the upcoming Women’s Indian Premier League (WIPL) for a five-year period between 2023-2027, at an auction on Monday (16 January).

It made a bid of Rs 951 crore for 34 matches, translating to a bid of Rs 7.09 crore per match, thus making it the second-biggest cricket league in the world.

The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) announced the news on Twitter saying, “The BCCI is pleased to announce Viacom18 Media Private Limited as the successful bidder of Media Rights for the Women’s Indian Premier League Seasons 2023-27," with BCCI secretary, Jay Shah tweeting, “This is massive for women’s cricket.”

A three-team women’s T20 challenge had been staged alongside the men’s IPL since 2018, but the BCCI had been urged to set up an expanded tournament for women with more teams and players.

The agreement is a historic step for women’s cricket all over the world, with cricketers and sportspersons from all over the world lauding the move.

Smriti Mandhana tweeted, “Today’s a day that every Indian women cricketer will remember. The WIPL is finally taking shape. BCCI, Jay Shah and all those involved deserve huge praise. Women’s cricket will go to the next level with this global stage provided. Come on girls, it’s all yours for the taking.”

The women’s league is already the second-largest cricket league in the world, bigger than Australia’s Big Bash and Pakistan’s Pakistan Super League.

Established IPL franchises such as Mumbai, Chennai, and the reigning champions Gujarat Titans, totalling 8 current IPL teams, have reportedly expressed interest in buying teams in WIPL. The franchises are to be revealed on 25 January.

The league will follow an IPL-like auction, with capped players having the option of placing themselves in either ₹30 lakh, ₹40 lakh, or ₹50 lakh categories, as their base price.

The digital rights for the league will be with JioCinema. The 22-match league is expected to kick off in the first week of March.

BCCI had previously established pay parity between men’s and women’s cricket, which would lead to male and female cricketers being paid the same per-match fees going forward.